With training camp just days away, the Chicago Bulls have continued a string of roster moves. The team first waived undrafted guard Wooga Poplar, who played in four Summer League games, averaging 6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists on 39.1 percent shooting.
Nonetheless, Poplar is expected to remain with the organization by joining the Windy City Bulls. Shortly after that move, Chicago made a similar decision with 23-year-old guard Caleb Grill, who signed with the team at the same time as Poplar.
Chicago opened two roster spots in back-to-back days
Like Poplar, Grill appeared in four of Chicago’s five Summer League games, averaging 8.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 made threes. His best outing came in the finale against the Utah Jazz, when he scored 18 points and connected on four shots from beyond the arc.
Before signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Chicago after going undrafted, Grill spent six seasons at the college level. He played three years at Iowa State, one at UNLV, and finished his career with two seasons at Missouri.
Over six collegiate seasons, Grill averaged 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. His breakout year came as a graduate senior at Missouri, where he earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors after posting 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39.6 percent from deep on 2.6 made threes.
The 25-year-old will join Poplar, two-way signees Emanuel Miller, Lachlan Olbrich, and Yuki Kawamura, as well as international draftee Jean Jacques Boissy, on the Windy City Bulls. Chicago has notably stocked up on backcourt talent after last season’s rash of injuries. Although Grill is another guard, his reliable three-point shooting will prove valuable if he’s ever called up.
With two roster spots now open, Chicago may prioritize experience over youth to fill them. Several intriguing free agents remain available, including Dalano Banton, Dominick Barlow, Bol Bol, Johnny Davis, and MarJon Beauchamp.
Waiving both Poplar and Grill was widely expected, as neither player has professional experience and will now gain it with the Windy City Bulls. Mouhamadou Gueye is currently the only remaining Exhibit 10 signee on Chicago’s roster. However, he will likely also be waived and added to the Windy City team in the coming days.
