It's been a few years, but the NBA plans a one-day return to Champaign-Urbana.

The Chicago Bulls will play the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA exhibition game at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Assembly Hall.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Aug. 21 and can be purchased from the Illinois ticket office.

It will be the first NBA exhibition game at Illinois' home court in almost four years. During the 2008 exhibition season, former Illini Deron Williams led the Utah Jazz against the Bulls and rookie Derrick Rose.

Ben Gordon scored 23 points as the Bulls defeated the Jazz 108-105. In front of a crowd of almost 14,000, Williams scored 14 points and had nine assists. Rose scored 14 for Chicago.

This year's game is the second of the preseason for the Bulls, who open at home against Memphis on Oct. 9. The team also will play a neutral-site game at South Bend, Ind., against the Indiana Pacers.

The game won't include Bulls star Rose, who suffered a torn ACL during the playoffs and had surgery in mid-May. Rose reportedly is ahead of schedule in his rehab.

Cleveland is led by 2012 Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving. But like Rose, he will be coming back from injury. In a summer league game, Irving broke his hand while slapping a pad after a turnover. Irving, who reportedly will have surgery today, should be back for the start of the Cavaliers' training camp in September.