The Chicago Bulls played their first Summer League game on Friday night, taking down the Toronto Raptors by a score of 83-74. It was a low-scoring affair, but plenty of Bulls players showed out and gave the fans a reason to stay tuned and keep tabs on the team.
Nate Darling showed off his three-point skills, Javon Freeman-Liberty played an all-around game, and Yago Dos Santos was a sparkplug off the bench. Bulls fans will have plenty of reasons to watch moving forward, but one thing stood out above the rest – the absence of rookie Julian Phillips.
The Bulls rookie did not appear in the game, and Bulls PR revealed that the reason behind his absence is that he hasn’t officially signed his rookie contract yet. (H/t Will Gottlieb of CHGO)
Julian Phillips has not yet signed his contract, so he is not playing today, per Bulls PR
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) July 7, 2023
Gottlieb wrote about the decision in an article for CHGO.
“To be clear, I don’t really blame Phillips for his decision,” Gottlieb wrote. “If he hasn’t put pen to paper yet, I understand wanting to play it safe and not risk his health for free. Instead, I’m extremely confused about why the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t have prioritized signing him before the start of the Summer League. Getting him on the floor ASAP should be a priority for the front office, and the expectation shouldn’t have been for his agency to be totally fine playing without a formal contract in place.”
It makes sense for Phillips to sit out until he is officially signed on with the Bulls, but the anticipation for his debut is rapidly increasing in Bulls Nation.
