Bulls sign McKinnie for full season; Ball and others in protocols
The Bulls clearly had some tough roster decisions to make, starting with the pending conclusion of Alfonzo McKinnie's second 10-day contract on Tuesday.
They made the move, signing McKinnie, a Chicago native, to a full-season contract and releasing Alize Johnson.
This decision came with some bad luck and unfortunate timing. McKinnie and backup center Tony Bradley entered health and safety protocols just before the start of Sunday's shootaround. When the workout ended. Lonzo Ball joined them, giving the Bulls three players plus head coach Billy Donovan in protocols.
The 6-foot-7 McKinnie played in three games for the Bulls, averaging 8.0 points and knocking down 6 of 12 shots from 3-point range. An original Windy City Bull in 2016-17, McKinnie was playing for the Mexico City G-League team when the Bulls signed him as a hardship roster addition.
McKinnie gives the Bulls another versatile wing player who fits into their fast-paced style. He had an opportunity to stay in the rotation while Alex Caruso (left foot sprain) and Derrick Jones Jr. (left hamstring strain) are out with injuries, but protocols put the brakes on that plan.
"I think Alfonzo's been great for us," interim coach Chris Fleming said before Sunday's game. "Those decisions are always tough, but he's been great for us and will continue to really help our team."
The Bulls signed Johnson as a free agent late in the summer after he was released by Brooklyn. He played well in preseason, but Donovan saw Johnson as a backup center and at 6-7, that might have been too many undersized front line players in the Bulls lineup.
Johnson's playing time dropped as Bradley did well while filling in for Nikola Vucevic. Johnson spent time in protocols and appeared in just three of the last nine games. According to basketball-reference.com, his two-year, $3.6 million contract was not guaranteed.
McKinnie's deal may not be guaranteed either. In the NBA, all contracts become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, so the Bulls might face decisions in a couple weeks on McKinnie and Matt Thomas.
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports