2020–21 Chicago Bulls season explained

Team:	Chicago Bulls
End Year:	2021
Wins:	31
Losses:	41
Playoffs:	Did not qualify
Division:	Central
Division Place:	3
Conf Place:	11
Coach:	Billy Donovan
Gm:	Marc Eversley
Owner:	Jerry Reinsdorf
Arena:	United Center
Bbr Team:	CHI
Television:	NBC Sports Chicago
Radio:	WLS WSCR

The 2020–21 Chicago Bulls season was the 55th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On April 13, 2020, Arturas Karnišovas was named executive vice-president of basketball operations by the Bulls.^[1] The Bulls replaced Jim Boylen,^[2] with former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan on September 22.^[3]

Draft picks

See main article: article and 2020 NBA draft.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College / Club
1	4	Patrick Williams	Small forward		Florida State
2	44	Marko Simonović	Power forward / Center	Montenegro	Mega Soccerbet (Serbia)

Before the start of the 2020 NBA draft period, the Bulls' selection was originally held stuck at the #7 selection before the NBA suspended their season on March 12, 2020 and cancelled the rest of Chicago's season by June 5.^[4] Chicago had the second-best record of teams that had their seasons cancelled during that period. On the night of the 2020 NBA draft lottery, the Bulls moved up three spots from the seventh selection to the fourth pick of the draft. The Bulls also have a second-round selection at #44, but that selection was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies after their own second-round pick was traded to the Washington Wizards.

Standings

Conference

Notes

• z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
• c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
• y – Clinched division title
• x – Clinched playoff spot
• pb – Clinched play-in spot
• o – Eliminated from playoff contention
• * – Division leader

Game log

Preseason

|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| December 11| Houston| | Coby White (15)| Vonleh, Gafford (8)| Satoranský, White (6)| United Center
0| 0–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2| December 13| Houston| | Zach LaVine (23)| Zach LaVine (9)| Arcidiacono, LaVine, White (5)| United Center
0| 1–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3| December 16| @ Oklahoma City| | Coby White (27)| Otto Porter Jr. (12)| Zach LaVine (5)| Chesapeake Energy Arena
0| 2–1|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4| December 18| @ Oklahoma City| | Lauri Markkanen (22)| Coby White (9)| Wendell Carter Jr. (6)| Chesapeake Energy Arena
0| 3–1

Regular season

|-style="background:#fcc;"| 1| December 23| Atlanta| | Zach LaVine (22)| Lauri Markkanen (7)| Coby White (7)| United Center
0| 0–1|-style="background:#fcc;"| 2| December 26| Indiana| | Zach LaVine (17)| Lauri Markkanen (9)| Tomáš Satoranský (9)| United Center
0| 0–2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 3| December 27| Golden State| | Zach LaVine (33)| Wendell Carter Jr. (13)| Coby White (5)| United Center
0| 0–3|-style="background:#cfc;"| 4| December 29| @ Washington| | Zach LaVine (23)| Wendell Carter Jr. (12)| LaVine, Satoranský, White (6)| Capital One Arena
0| 1–3|-style="background:#cfc;"| 5| December 31| @ Washington| | Otto Porter Jr. (28)| Otto Porter Jr. (12)| Coby White (10)| Capital One Arena
0| 2–3|-style="background:#fcc;"| 6| January 1| @ Milwaukee| | Zach LaVine (16)| LaVine, Williams (6)| Carter Jr., Felicio, White (3)| Fiserv Forum
0| 2–4|-style="background:#cfc;"| 7| January 3| Dallas| | Zach LaVine (39)| Carter Jr., Porter Jr., White (7)| Zach LaVine (5)| United Center
0| 3–4|-style="background:#cfc;"| 8| January 5| @ Portland| | Coby White (21)| Otto Porter Jr. (13)| Zach LaVine (9)| Moda Center
0| 4–4|-style="background:#fcc;"| 9| January 6| @ Sacramento| | Coby White (36)| Wendell Carter Jr. (17)| Coby White (7)| Golden 1 Center
0| 4–5|-style="background:#fcc;"| 10| January 8| @ LA Lakers| | Zach LaVine (38)| Patrick Williams (8)| Zach LaVine (6)| Staples Center
0| 4–6|-style="background:#fcc;"| 11| January 10| @ LA Clippers| | Zach LaVine (45)| Coby White (8)| Coby White (13)| Staples Center
0| 4–7|-style="background:#ccc;"| PPD| January 12| Boston| colspan="6" | Postponed (COVID-19) (Makeup date: May 7)^[5] |-style="background:#fcc;"| 12| January 15| @ Oklahoma City| | Zach LaVine (35)| Wendell Carter Jr. (11)| Coby White (7)| Chesapeake Energy Arena
0| 4–8|-style="background:#cfc;"| 13| January 17| @ Dallas| | Lauri Markkanen (29)| Lauri Markkanen (10)| Zach LaVine (10)| American Airlines Center
0| 5–8|-style="background:#cfc;"| 14| January 18| Houston| | Zach LaVine (33)| Thaddeus Young (9)| Zach LaVine (7)| United Center
0| 6–8|-style="background:#cfc;"| 15| January 22| @ Charlotte| | Zach LaVine (25)| Otto Porter Jr. (8)| Zach LaVine (9)| Spectrum Center
0| 7–8|-style="background:#fcc;"| 16| January 23| LA Lakers| | Zach LaVine (21)| Zach LaVine (10)| LaVine, White (4)| United Center
0| 7–9|-style="background:#fcc;"| 17| January 25| Boston| | Zach LaVine (30)| Thaddeus Young (9)| Thaddeus Young (9)| United Center
0| 7–10|-style="background:#ccc;"| PPD| January 27| @ Memphis| colspan="6" | Postponed (COVID-19) (Makeup date: April 12)^[6] |-style="background:#fcc;"| 18| January 30| Portland| | Lauri Markkanen (31)| Thaddeus Young (11)| Thaddeus Young (11)| United Center
0| 7–11|-style="background:#cfc;"| 19| February 1| New York| | Lauri Markkanen (30)| Daniel Gafford (9)| Thaddeus Young (8)| United Center
0| 8–11|-style="background:#fcc;"| 20| February 3| New York| | Zach LaVine (24)| Patrick Williams (7)| Zach LaVine (7)| United Center
0| 8–12|-style="background:#fcc;"| 21| February 5| @ Orlando| | Zach LaVine (26)| Williams, Young (7)| Zach LaVine (8)| Amway Center
3,535| 8–13|-style="background:#cfc;"| 22| February 6| @ Orlando| | Zach LaVine (39)| Patrick Williams (10)| Tomáš Satoranský (6)| Amway Center
3,880| 9–13|-style="background:#fcc;"| 23| February 8| Washington| | Zach LaVine (35)| Garrett Temple (9)| LaVine, Young (6)| United Center
0| 9–14|-style="background:#cfc;"| 24| February 10| New Orleans| | Zach LaVine (46)| LaVine, Young (7)| Tomáš Satoranský (8)| United Center
0| 10–14|-style="background:#fcc;"| 25| February 12| LA Clippers| | Zach LaVine (26)| Zach LaVine (9)| Tomáš Satoranský (7)| United Center
0| 10–15|-style="background:#cfc;"| 26| February 15| @ Indiana| | Zach LaVine (30)| Thaddeus Young (11)| Coby White (8)| Bankers Life Fieldhouse
0| 11–15|-style="background:#ccc;"| PPD| February 17| @ Charlotte| colspan="6" | Postponed (COVID-19) (Makeup date: May 6)^[7] |-style="background:#cfc;"| 27| February 17| Detroit| | Zach LaVine (37)| Thaddeus Young (10)| Thaddeus Young (7)| United Center
0| 12–15|-style="background:#fcc;"| 28| February 19| @ Philadelphia| | Zach LaVine (30)| Thaddeus Young (9)| LaVine, White (5)| Wells Fargo Center
0| 12–16|-style="background:#cfc;"| 29| February 20| Sacramento| | Zach LaVine (38)| Patrick Williams (11)| Wendell Carter Jr. (5)| United Center
0| 13–16|-style="background:#cfc;"| 30| February 22| @ Houston| | Coby White (24)| Wendell Carter Jr. (13)| Zach LaVine (6)| Toyota Center
3,025| 14–16|-style="background:#cfc;"| 31| February 24| Minnesota| | Zach LaVine (35)| Wendell Carter Jr. (10)| White, Young (6)| United Center
0| 15–16|-style="background:#fcc;"| 32| February 26| Phoenix| | Zach LaVine (24)| Thaddeus Young (10)| Thaddeus Young (5)| United Center
0| 15–17|-style="background:#ccc;"| PPD| February 28| @ Toronto| colspan="6" | Postponed (COVID-19) (Makeup date: April 8)^[8] |-style="background:#fcc;"| 33| March 1| Denver| | Zach LaVine (23)| Coby White (10)| LaVine, Satoranský (5)| United Center
0| 15–18|-style="background:#cfc;"| 34| March 3| @ New Orleans| | Zach LaVine (36)| Wendell Carter Jr. (15)| Zach LaVine (8)| Smoothie King Center
2,700| 16–18|-style="background:#fcc;"| 35| March 11| Philadelphia| | Lauri Markkanen (23)| Wendell Carter Jr. (9)| Zach LaVine (7)| United Center
0| 16–19|-style="background:#fcc;"| 36| March 12| Miami| | Zach LaVine (30)| Thaddeus Young (10)| Zach LaVine (6)| United Center
0| 16–20|-style="background:#cfc;"| 37| March 14| Toronto| | Patrick Williams (23)| Wendell Carter Jr. (11)| Satoranský, Young (7)| United Center
0| 17–20|-style="background:#cfc;"| 38| March 16| Oklahoma City| | Zach LaVine (40)| Carter Jr., Young (9)| Tomáš Satoranský (8)| United Center
0| 18–20|-style="background:#fcc;"| 39| March 17| San Antonio| | Zach LaVine (29)| Patrick Williams (14)| Tomáš Satoranský (7)| United Center
0| 18–21|-style="background:#fcc;"| 40| March 19| @ Denver| | Zach LaVine (32)| Thaddeus Young (10)| Thaddeus Young (6)| Ball Arena
0| 18–22|-style="background:#cfc;"| 41| March 21| @ Detroit| | Zach LaVine (18)| Daniel Gafford (11)| Tomáš Satoranský (9)| Little Caesars Arena
750| 19–22|-style="background:#fcc;"| 42| March 22| Utah| | Zach LaVine (27)| Thaddeus Young (9)| LaVine, Satoranský (4)| United Center
0| 19–23|-style="background:#fcc;"| 43| March 24| Cleveland| | Zach LaVine (22)| Wendell Carter Jr. (9)| LaVine, Satoranský (4)| United Center
0| 19–24|-style="background:#fcc;"| 44| March 27| @ San Antonio| | Nikola Vučević (21)| Nikola Vučević (9)| Thaddeus Young (9)| AT&T Center
3,334| 19–25|-style="background:#fcc;"| 45| March 29| @ Golden State| | Nikola Vučević (21)| Nikola Vučević (9)| Tomáš Satoranský (8)| Chase Center
0| 19–26|-style="background:#fcc;"| 46| March 31| @ Phoenix| | Nikola Vučević (24)| Markkanen, Vučević, Young (10)| Tomáš Satoranský (7)| Phoenix Suns Arena
3,459| 19–27|-style="background:#fcc;"| 47| April 2| @ Utah| | Thaddeus Young (25)| Nikola Vučević (8)| Satoranský, Valentine, Vučević (4)| Vivint Arena
5,546| 19–28|-style="background:#cfc;"| 48| April 4| Brooklyn| | Zach LaVine (25)| Nikola Vučević (13)| Tomáš Satoranský (11)| United Center
0| 20–28|-style="background:#cfc;"| 49| April 6| @ Indiana| | Nikola Vučević (32)| Nikola Vučević (17)| LaVine, White (6)| Bankers Life Fieldhouse
0| 21–28|-style="background:#cfc;"| 50| April 8| @ Toronto| | LaVine, Vučević (22)| Daniel Theis (10)| Zach LaVine (13)| Amalie Arena
0| 22–28|-style="background:#fcc;"| 51| April 9| @ Atlanta| | Zach LaVine (50)| Nikola Vučević (10)| Tomáš Satoranský (10)| State Farm Arena
996| 22–29|-style="background:#fcc;"| 52| April 11| @ Minnesota| | Zach LaVine (30)| Thaddeus Young (8)| LaVine, Satoranský (6)| Target Center
1,436| 22–30|-style="background:#fcc;"| 53| April 12| @ Memphis| | Zach LaVine (21)| Nikola Vučević (10)| Zach LaVine (9)| FedExForum
2,194| 22–31|-style="background:#fcc;"| 54| April 14| Orlando| | Zach LaVine (30)| Nikola Vučević (11)| Zach LaVine (7)| United Center
0| 22–32|-style="background:#fcc;"| 55| April 16| Memphis| | Coby White (27)| Nikola Vučević (14)| Coby White (7)| United Center
0| 22–33|-style="background:#cfc;"| 56| April 17| Cleveland| | Nikola Vučević (25)| Nikola Vučević (7)| Coby White (9)| United Center
0| 23–33|-style="background:#cfc;"| 57| April 19| @ Boston| | Nikola Vučević (29)| Nikola Vučević (9)| Coby White (7)| TD Garden
0| 24–33|-style="background:#fcc;"| 58| April 21| @ Cleveland| | Lauri Markkanen (16)| Thaddeus Young (8)| Coby White (6)| Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
0| 24–34|-style="background:#cfc;"| 59| April 22| Charlotte| | Vučević, White, Young (18)| Nikola Vučević (16)| Tomáš Satoranský (7)| United Center
0| 25–34|-style="background:#fcc;"| 60| April 24| @ Miami| | Coby White (31)| Nikola Vučević (14)| Nikola Vučević (6)| AmericanAirlines Arena
0| 25–35|-style="background:#cfc;"| 61| April 26| @ Miami| | Nikola Vučević (24)| Daniel Theis (12)| Thaddeus Young (8)| AmericanAirlines Arena
0| 26–35|-style="background:#fcc;"| 62| April 28| @ New York| | Nikola Vučević (26)| Nikola Vučević (18)| Coby White (9)| Madison Square Garden
1,981| 26–36|-style="background:#fcc;"| 63| April 30| Milwaukee| | Coby White (21)| Nikola Vučević (15)| Coby White (7)| United Center
0| 26–37|-style="background:#fcc;"| 64| May 1| @ Atlanta| | Thaddeus Young (20)| Lauri Markkanen (11)| Thaddeus Young (9)| State Farm Arena
3,053| 26–38|-style="background:#fcc;"| 65| May 3| Philadelphia| | Coby White (23)| Daniel Theis (8)| Tomáš Satoranský (6)| United Center
0| 26–39|-style="background:#cfc;"| 66| May 6| @ Charlotte| | Nikola Vučević (29)| Nikola Vučević (14)| Thaddeus Young (8)| Spectrum Center
3,769| 27–39|-style="background:#cfc;"| 67| May 7| Boston| | LaVine, White (25)| Nikola Vučević (14)| Nikola Vučević (10)| United Center
3,399| 28–39|-style="background:#cfc;"| 68| May 9| @ Detroit| | Zach LaVine (30)| Nikola Vučević (16)| Tomáš Satoranský (7)| Little Caesars Arena
750| 29–39|-style="background:#fcc;"| 69| May 11| Brooklyn| | Zach LaVine (41)| Nikola Vučević (12)| Nikola Vučević (6)| United Center
3,434| 29–40|-style="background:#cfc;"| 70| May 13| Toronto| | Zach LaVine (24)| Nikola Vučević (16)| Coby White (10)| United Center
3,395| 30–40|-style="background:#fcc;"| 71| May 15| @ Brooklyn| | Patrick Williams (24)| Thaddeus Young (13)| Coby White (6)| Barclays Center
1,773| 30–41|-style="background:#cfc;"| 72| May 16| Milwaukee| | Thaddeus Young (20)| Christiano Felicio (8)| Coby White (5)| United Center
3,427| 31–41

Player statistics

|-| align="left"|^≠ || align="center"| SF/PF| 6 || 0 || 67 || 19 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 9|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PG| 44 || 0 || 450 || 67 || 56 || 9 || 0 || 136|-| align="left"|^≠ || align="center"| SF| 13 || 0 || 237 || 44 || 10 || 7 || 2 || 71|-| align="left"|^† || align="center"| C| 32 || 25 || 792 || 250 || 69 || 18 || 24 || 348|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PG| 11 || 0 || 50 || 5 || 7 || 4 || 0 || 23|-| align="left"| || align="center"| C| 18 || 0 || 84 || 26 || 9 || 4 || 0 || 23|-| align="left"|^† || align="center"| C| 31 || 11 || 383 || 103 || 17 || 11 || 34 || 147|-| align="left"|^≠ || align="center"| SG/PG| 16 || 0 || 128 || 19 || 6 || 10 || 4 || 41|-| align="left"|^† || align="center"| SF| 7 || 0 || 64 || 20 || 4 || 1 || 0 || 13|-| align="left"|^† || align="center"| PF/C| 13 || 0 || 94 || 15 || 4 || 2 || 7 || 26|-| align="left"| || align="center"| SG| 58 || 58 || 2,034 || 289 || 282 || 46 || 27 || style=";"|1,591|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PF| 51 || 26 || 1,317 || 268 || 45 || 26 || 15 || 695|-| align="left"| || align="center"| SG/SF| 14 || 0 || 56 || 5 || 5 || 2 || 1 || 15|-| align="left"|^† || align="center"| SF| 25 || 6 || 540 || 138 || 50 || 12 || 4 || 247|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PG| 58 || 18 || 1,307 || 142 || 271 || 40 || 14 || 447|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PG| 56 || 25 || 1,528 || 160 || 124 || 43 || 30 || 423|-| align="left"|^≠ || align="center"| C| 23 || 14 || 574 || 136 || 41 || 16 || 14 || 230|-| align="left"| || align="center"| SG/SF| 62 || 3 || 1,036 || 197 || 105 || 30 || 7 || 406|-| align="left"|^≠ || align="center"| C| 26 || 26 || 848 || 300 || 102 || 23 || 20 || 559|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PG| 69 || 54 || style=";"|2,156 || 284 || style=";"|328 || 38 || 15 || 1,041|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PF| style=";"|71 || style=";"|71 || 1,983 || 327 || 99 || 64 || style=";"|46 || 655|-| align="left"| || align="center"| PF| 68 || 23 || 1,652 || style=";"|423 || 291 || style=";"|74 || 40 || 823|}After all games.^[9]
‡Waived during the season
^†Traded during the season
^≠Acquired during the season

Transactions

See main article: List of 2020–21 NBA season transactions.

Trades

March 15, 2021^[10]	To Chicago Bulls Nikola Vučević Al-Farouq Aminu	To Orlando Magic Wendell Carter Jr. Otto Porter Jr. 2021 first-round pick 2023 first-round pick
March 25, 2021^[11]	To Chicago Bulls Troy Brown Jr. (from Washington) Javonte Green (from Boston) Daniel Theis (from Boston) Cash considerations (from Boston and Washington)	To Boston Celtics Luke Kornet (from Chicago) Moritz Wagner (from Washington)
To Washington Wizards Daniel Gafford (from Chicago) Chandler Hutchison (from Chicago)

Free agency

Re-signed

Player	Signed
Denzel Valentine	1-year contract worth $4.6 million (November 21, 2020)
Adam Mokoka	Two-way contract (November 22, 2020)

Additions

Player	Signed	Former team
Devon Dotson	Two-way contract (November 19, 2020)	Kansas Jayhawks
Zach Norvell Jr.	1-year contract worth $1.4 million (November 27, 2020)	Santa Cruz Warriors
Noah Vonleh	1-year contract worth $2 million (November 27, 2020)	Denver Nuggets
Garrett Temple	1-year contract worth $4.7 million (November 27, 2020)	Brooklyn Nets
Simisola Shittu	Exhibit 10 contract (December 6, 2020)	Brooklyn Nets

Subtractions

Player	Reason left	New team
Noah Vonleh	Waived (December 14, 2020)	Brooklyn Nets
Zach Norvell Jr.	Waived (December 19, 2020)	Santa Cruz Warriors
Simisola Shittu	Waived (December 19, 2020)	Westchester Knicks

Notes and References

1. Web site: Bulls name Arturas Karnisovas Executive VP - Basketball Operations . NBA.com . April 13, 2020 . April 13, 2020.
2. Web site: Jim Boylen Relieved as Bulls Head Coach. August 14, 2020. NBA.com. August 14, 2020.
3. Web site: Bulls name Billy Donovan coach. September 22, 2020. NBA.com. September 22, 2020.
4. Web site: NBA Mock Draft: Where do Prospects Stand After March Madness Cancellation?.
5. Web site: Celtics-Bulls Game Postponed In Accordance With Health And Safety Protocols . NBA.com . January 12, 2021. January 25, 2021.
6. Web site: Bulls-Grizzlies Postponed In Accordance With Health And Safety Protocols . NBA.com . January 27, 2021. January 25, 2021.
7. Web site: Bulls-Hornets Postponed For Health And Safety Protocols . NBA.com . February 17, 2021. February 16, 2021.
8. Web site: Raptors-Bulls game postponed due to Health and Safety Protocols . NBA.com . February 28, 2021. February 28, 2021.
9. Web site: 2020-21 Chicago Bulls Roster and Regular season Stats. basketball-reference.com. May 6, 2021.
10. https://www.nba.com/news/reports-bulls-add-nikola-vucevic-wendell-carter-jr-two-first-round-picks-to-magic "Bulls add Nikola Vucevic; Wendell Carter Jr., two first-round picks to Magic"
11. https://www.nba.com/news/report-bulls-acquire-troy-brown-and-mo-wagner-in-trade-with-wizards "Bulls acquire Troy Brown, Daniel Theis in 3-team trade with Wizards, Celtics"