Bulls Waive Noah Vonleh After Testing Postive for COVID-19

Getty Noah Vonleh tested positive for COVID-19, which led to his release by the Bulls.

Noah Vonleh was the 16th man added to the Chicago Bulls roster, anticipating to compete for the final 15th spot on the roster.

The 25-year-old’s chances at a roster spot were cut short as he tested positive for COVID-19 and was waived.

Transaction: We have waived forward Noah Vonleh. pic.twitter.com/uR2AWVh1YG

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 15, 2020

“Unfortunately, I have tested positive with COVID, so my time with the Bulls has come to an end,” Vonleh said in a statement to Yahoo! Sports. “Thank you to the organization for everything. Though it was a short time, I appreciate the opportunity. I am thankfully feeling good, and I look forward to working my way to another NBA opportunity once I am cleared to play again!”

Vonleh played 11 minutes in the preseason opener against the Houston Rockets, scoring 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He and listed as out and “not with team” on the official injury report along with Tomas Satoransky, Luke Kornet, Devon Dotson and Garrett Temple.

All players other than Vonleh aren’t guaranteed to have come down with COVID-19, although, they could be undergoing NBA protocol: contact tracing, quarantine or dealing with an inconclusive test result, per NBC Sports’ K.C. Johnson.

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Vonleh, Likely to Be Cut Anyway

Vonleh’s contract with the Bulls was non-guaranteed until the opening night. Competing with Kornet and Cristiano Felicio, who both have guaranteed deals, it seemed like only a matter of time for when Vonleh would be cut.

Regardless, it is discouraging to see a bubble player’s chances of making a team cut short for reasons outside of his own control.

Vonleh, standing 6-foot-10, played in 36 games between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets last season, averaging 10.5 minutes, 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds. The former 2014 ninth-overall pick and has been a journeyman throughout his playing career, playing for six teams in six years — which included a 21-game stint with the Bulls in 2017-18. He started four games and averaged 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds with the Bulls.

Vonleh, still just a young big trying to carve his mark into a roster, moved to center last season, which paid dividends as he posted his highest effective field goal percentage (.582) of his career.

While Vonleh’s offense is still developing, his strongest body of work is on the defensive side of the ball. Matched up with Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2018, Vonleh kept the Milwaukee Bucks star in check for 30 points on 21 shots, including a block that shocked the league.

ESPN

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Noah Vonleh met Giannis at the rim 🚫

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1:25 pm · 25 Dec 2018

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He could have been seen as a situational defender in the first year of the Bulls’ new regime which opes to build a roster of two-way players eventually.

Bulls Travel to Oklahoma City for Final Preseason Games

With speculation surrounding the health of the rest of the team, the Bulls were seen traveling to Oklahoma City for their final two preseason games against the Thunder, however, none of the aforementioned players who missed last Saturday’s second preseason game against the Thunder were pictured.