Julian Phillips signs four-year rookie contract with Chicago Bulls
Julian Phillips has signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Bulls worth $8.1 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The deal for the second-round pick includes $5.7 million in guaranteed money over the first three years of the deal.
Marks reported that Phillips will make $1.6 million as a rookie in 2023-24, then $1.9 million in 2024-25 and $2.2 million in 2025-26. The fourth year is a team option for the 2026-27 season worth $2.4 million.
Phillips, the former Tennessee basketball five-star small forward, was the 35th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He’s played in two Summer League game with the Bulls, averaging 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game, shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 22.1 percent from the 3-point line.
Phillips scored 16 points Tuesday night in Chicago’s Summer League win over the Sacramento Kings.
Eight Tennessee players on NBA Summer League rosters
There are eight Tennessee players on NBA Summer League rosters this summer, including Phillips and Keon Johnson (Trailblazers), Jaden Springer (76ers)and Kennedy Chandler (Brooklyn Nets).
Yves Pons and Uros Plavsic are on the Atlanta Hawks Summer League roster and Jordan Bowden is playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. Kyle Alexander is playing for the Washington Wizards Summer League team.
Phillips became the seventh Tennessee player during the Rick Barnes era to be drafted since 2019. Chicago traded two future second-round picks to get the No. 35 overall pick to draft Phillips.
“Our group liked him,” Artūras Karnišovas, the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls, said after the draft, according to the Chicago Tribune. “He’s (an) ex-McDonalds All-American. Multi-positional defender. He’s one of the best athletes in the draft. He can step in right now, probably can defend on our level.”
Defense was never an issue for Phillips. On the offensive end, though, Phillips averaged 8.3 points in 24.1 minutes per game, shooting 41.1 percent from the field but just 23.9 percent from the 3-point line.
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“He has a lot of things to improve,” Karnišovas said, “but we’re looking forward to it. He’s very young and very talented.”
Julian Phillips averaged 8.3 points per game as a freshman, shooting 41.1% from the field and 23.9% from the 3-point line
Phillips was projected as a late pick in the second round after finishing his freshman season at Tennessee, but climbed back toward the top of the second round after turning heads with his workout numbers at the combine.
Along with his 8.3 points per game, Phillips averaged 4.7 rebounds, was fourth on the team in total rebounds (150) and led the Vols in free throws made (97) and free throws attempted (150).
He scored a season-high 25 points against USC in November in the Battle 4 Atlantis and had 18 points and 11 rebounds in a Tennessee win at Mississippi State in January. But he also went scoreless in 12 minutes against Florida Atlantic in the Sweet Sixteen, taking just two shots and grabbing just one rebound in the loss.
Phillips had only four points and four rebounds in 45 minutes over three NCAA Tournament games. He scored in double-figures 13 times, but only three times over his final 13 games.
