The Chicago Bulls’ usual cast of characters will get their feet wet on Tuesday night.
In Cleveland for their first preseason game of 2025, the Bulls are expected to have almost their entire 15-man roster ready to go. Coby White is currently the only player likely to be in street clothes, as he continues to work his way back from a mild calf strain he suffered in August. As for the rest of the group, Billy Donovan sounds ready to call on anyone and everyone.
The head coach told K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network on Monday that most “regular” rotation players will see around 15-20 minutes against the Cavaliers. Of course, this seemingly includes projected starters like Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic. Role players like Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and Isaac Okoro likely also fall under this category.
Everybody practiced except for Coby White, per Donovan. Current plan is to play most regulars 15-20 minutes altho Donovan will meet with medical before opener to see if any regulars held out. Donovan said rotation will be “pretty deep.” Yuki time?
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 6, 2025With this in mind, it comes as little surprise that Donovan shared he expects to go “pretty deep” into the team’s bench. Minutes for two-way players Yuki Kawamura, Lachlan Olbrich, and Emanuel Miller certainly feel on the table. This could also open the door for training camp invite Mouhamadou Gueye to see some action.
Most importantly, however, it sounds like there will be plenty of room to give rookie Noa Essengue some extended run. I’m pretty fascinated to see how quickly Donovan calls his name, especially if the Cavs keep their normal bigs in the game. A little time facing guys like Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen could do the 18-year-old some good!
Five Burning Questions for the Chicago Bulls’ Preseason (Which Starts This Week!)I would get pretty used to Billy Donovan tinkering with the rotation, by the way. While I know this is expected in the preseason, I actually think we will see a lot of it in October and November. The head coach has already suggested in multiple interviews that he expected to use 10+ guys regularly this season. Why is that? For starters, the organization is in full evaluation mode. Not only do they need to determine if players like Kevin Huerter and Zach Collins are worth bringing back, but they also need to continue to assess youngsters like Dalen Terry, Julian Phillips, and Essengue.
Another major reason is the speed at which this team plans to play. Donovan knows the wear and tear that can come with playing an uptempo style, and he may need to stretch the rotation in order to keep guys fresh. Fine with me! The more guys we get to watch this season, the better.
Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls – © Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesSo Who Will Start for the Bulls in Preseason Opener?
With the Chicago Bulls having an obvious hole at the starting small forward spot, all eyes were going to be on that decision tonight. However, with Coby White sitting, Donovan will have an opportunity to put the top two candidates in the starting lineup.
In the Bulls’ current game notes, the team has both Kevin Huerter and Isaac Okoro in the starting lineup for tonight. Those two join Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic. Now, this could still change before game time. And I wouldn’t necessarily be shocked to see either Ayo Dosunmu or Tre Jones replace one of them. However, I can understand Donovan’s preference to have Huerter’s sharpshooting and Okoro’s defense on the floor against a Cavs’ offense that ranked No. 1 last season. You’ll need to hit threes and play physically to stay alive.
Moving forward, though, I do anticipate we will see Donovan shake things up. White is obviously this team’s starter in the backcourt, so seeing how both Huerter and Okoro fit individually with the other starters is important.
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