E.J.

Liddell

Smith missed Wednesday’s game against Orlando, but he’ll be back to filling out the backup center minutes behind Nikola Vucevic. E.J. Liddell logged 17 minutes against the Magic, but he will likely be pushed out of the rotation with Smith back.

Smith did not play in Wednesday’s loss to the Magic, leading to E.J. Liddell playing 17 minutes as Nikola Vucevic’s backup. Liddell isn’t a center, so the Bulls were at a decided disadvantage during his time on the court. Neither Smith nor Liddell offers much fantasy value backing up Vucevic.

Initially questionable for Wednesday’s game, Smith has officially been ruled out. With Adama Sanogo (knee) also out, the Bulls may turn to E.J. Liddell when starter Nikola Vucevic needs a break. Liddell will not be worth the risk as a streamer in this spot.

Smith has been productive as of late. He’s scored 12 or more points in two of his previous three contests. E.J. Liddell could get some limited run if Smith can’t play, as Adama Sanogo has been ruled out with a knee injury.

The Bulls signed Liddell to an Exhibit 10 contract in early September, and he played well enough during the preseason to earn a two-way contract. He’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball this season, especially with Chicago having multiple young forwards on the roster.

Selected by the Pelicans with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 draft, Liddell has yet to get his NBA career off the ground. An ACL tear suffered during summer league play robbed him of the 2022-23 campaign, and he was limited to eight appearances with the Pelicans this past season. Liddell was traded twice during the summer, first to Atlanta as part of the Dejounte Murray deal and then to Phoenix in exchange for David Roddy. The Suns waived Liddell on August 21. With Liddell likely on an Exhibit 10 contract and the Bulls having 14 players on guaranteed deals, he faces long odds to make the opening night roster.

Phoenix had 16 players under standard contracts for the 2024-25 season, so something had to give. Liddell’s reported exit is unsurprising, as he was not believed to be in the Suns’ plans after being acquired from the Hawks earlier this summer. As for Little, the 2019 first-round pick only appeared in 45 games last season, posting averages of 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes. His departure will have a financial impact, as the Suns will stretch the remaining $22 million on Little’s contract. Rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are expected to be given every opportunity to earn rotation minutes next season.

On Friday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Suns were acquiring Liddell from the Pelicans in exchange for David Roddy, with the transaction becoming official on Monday. The move was financially motivated for Phoenix, as acquiring Liddell got the team some salary relief. However, with Tyus Jones being signed, the Suns are up to 16 players on standard contracts, and the expectation is that Liddell is unlikely to remain with the team. According to Gambadoro, Roddy would likely meet a similar fate had he not been traded. This will not impact fantasy basketball, as Liddell was not a factor with the Pelicans last season.

Liddell will be traded for the second time this summer. He was sent to Atlanta as part of the transaction headlined by the Pelicans’ acquisition of Dejounte Murray. While the 2022 second-round pick did play well at the NBA 2K25 Summer League earlier in July, he’s unlikely to get the opportunities needed to be fantasy-relevant in Phoenix.

Liddell was perceived as a “throw-in” in the Dejounte Murray trade but looked like a legitimate contributor on Sunday night. While the scoring was not surprising, Liddell blocking four shots was unexpected, given the career average of 0.3 per game as a rookie. He’s a rugged forward who can be challenging to corral when allowed to get downhill off the dribble. The Hawks also acquired Larry Nance Jr. in the Murray trade, but there could be minutes behind Jalen Johnson at power forward, especially if Nance or Clint Capela were to be moved before the season begins. If so, Liddell’s chances of earning rotation minutes will increase.