The Chicago Bulls are releasing shooting guard Antonio Blakeney, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and STADIUM.
The Chicago Bulls and guard Antonio Blakeney are parting ways, with the team planning to release him, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 7, 2019
Blakeney went undrafted out of LSU in 2017, but the Bulls signed him to a two-way contract after he performed well for the team at the NBA Summer League.
The Watertown, NY native would get his chance in the league towards the end of the 2017-18 regular season, playing in 19 games and averaging 7.9 points in nearly 17 minutes per game.
Blakeney showed out once again at the 2018 Summer League , and his midrange scoring ability as well as knack for producing as a combo guard gave him a place on the roster for this past season. However, he failed to make significant strides. The 22-year-old only averaged around 15 minutes per night, and his scoring average decreased from 7.9 points to 7.3 points per game.
With Chicago adding swingman Otto Porter at the trade deadline and then bolstering the backcourt by signing Tomas Satoransky and drafting Coby White, Blakeney did not really have a clear path to playing time for the upcoming season.
The Bulls will move forward with the hope that their young core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. can take the next step in their development. Chicago is gunning for a playoff spot in a weak Eastern Conference, and they have added depth with the likes of Satoransky and veteran swingman Thaddeus Young joining the roster.
Meanwhile, Blakeney will have to scramble to find a spot on an NBA roster before the start of the regular season.
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