The Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 125-104 on Wednesday to go 2-2 in the preseason. Despite the attention on Caleb Wilson, Norman Powell, Josh Giddey, and Matas Buzelis, Leonard Miller cannot be overlooked.
He came with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. Furthermore, Miller continues to show tremendous consistency during this preseason. The numbers tell the story.
Over the weekend, Miller scored 26 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and shot 79% from the field in a 133-128 loss to the Denver Nuggets. A few days prior, he finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 104-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Overall, Miller is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 4 games. So far, head coach Tiago Splitter has used Miller as a versatile rotational player at both power forward and center.
All of which comes at a time when Miller's future with the Bulls remains uncertain.
He is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. That is, if the Bulls don't offer him an extension.
In 2023, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Miller with the 33rd pick in the 2nd round of the draft. He signed a 4-year rookie deal worth $8,319,739. Additionally, his average annual salary is $2,079,935.
In February, the Timberwolves traded Miller to the Bulls, along with Rob Dillingham, in exchange for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. The Bulls also received 4 2nd-round draft picks.
In 27 games, Miller averaged 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while also shooting 55% from the field.
During the offseason, the Bulls exercised a $2.4 million team option to keep Miller.