The Bulls are planning to waive shooting guard Antonio Blakeney after reaching agreement on a buyout of his modest guaranteed deal of close to $1.6 million, a source said Saturday.
This move will drop the Bulls roster to 15 contracts in advance of training camp.
The news has been reported as a possibility since the Bulls re-signed Shaquille Harrison to a non-guaranteed contract after Harrison’s brief release during the NBA Summer League. Harrison’s toughness and defensive tenacity have made him a favorite of coach Jim Boylen.
Blakeney averaged 7.3 points in just 14.5 minutes over 57 games while shooting close to 40 percent from 3-point range. But his one-dimensional play didn’t fit Boylen’s preference for versatile, interchangeable players. Blakeney, in an amazing statistic, attempted almost as many shots as passes last season, with 396 field goals and 432 passes.
Blakeney’s release also means, at least for now, that Kris Dunn is set to start the season with the Bulls. Given that the Bulls drafted Coby White, acquired Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade and re-signed Ryan Arcidiacono, both management and Dunn’s camp are open to a move. Thus far, no trade that makes sense for both parties has presented itself.
