Chicago Bulls Rumors

Central Rumors: Fredette, Bennett, Deng

March 8 at 8:21pm CDT By Cray Allred

Bulls center Nazr Mohammed tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that growing friendships between players at the NBA level is changing the way teams are constructed. Mohammed says that animosity between rival players is no longer the norm. “AAU, social media, that’s all gone. Basketball on a high school level has just meshed all these kids from all over the country, especially with social media, so playing with each other at this level is no big deal. There’s no longer that dislike,” said the 15-year veteran. “Ultimately, it’s good for the league. You’ve got guys that like each other, want to play with each other. Why not? The collective-bargaining agreement is going to settle some of it because either guys are going to take huge pay cuts to play with their best friends or you can’t do it because of the CBA.” Here’s more from the Central division:

  • Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune thinks that the environment Jimmer Fredette now has with the Bulls will help him succeed. Luhm says the combination of great coaching, talented teammates, stable ownership, and skilled management–things he didn’t have with the Kings–create an ideal situation for the dead-eye shooter.
  • Anthony Bennett has improved his play after a disastrous start to the season, but the Cavs first-overall pick from the 2013 draft now faces a potential minutes reduction as Anderson Varejao returns from injury. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald says that Bennett needs to improve and get in better shape over the offseason if he wants to shed the perception that he’s a bust. 
  • In the same piece, Finnan says there is “no pretense whatsoever” that Luol Deng will re-sign with the Cavs this offseason, as Finnan is hearing from many that Deng is counting the days until he can flee Cleveland.

Knicks Notes: ‘Melo, Jackson, Woodson

March 7 at 10:33pm CDT By Cray Allred

Over the last two days, we’ve heard about Joakim Noah recruiting Carmelo Anthony for the Bulls and the Knicks offering Phil Jackson a front office position. The news continues to have trickle effects–let’s take a look at the latest from New York:

  • A person with knowledge of the ‘Melo/Noah discussion tells Sam Amick of USA Today that the talk has been overblown, and suggested that Anthony’s camp might have leaked the discussion as an attempt to remind the Knicks that his departure in the offseason is a legitimate possibility.
  • Anthony denied to reporters, including Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, that the alleged conversation occurred (Twitter link). Anthony said he “can’t” have those kinds of discussions, alluding to league tampering restrictions.
  • A source with knowledge of Jackson’s thinking tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he’s “ready to go back to work.”
  • In the same piece, Shelburne quotes Mike Woodson‘s comments to reporters about the Phil Jackson news: “I really don’t have an opinion on it. I really don’t. Again, as I sit here today, I am the coach of the New York Knicks. I am not going to entertain anything about Phil. I have a great deal of respect for Phil, but I am not going to entertain anything about Phil Jackson.”
  • Jackson has made it clear that he wants a Pat Riley-esque role with a team, tweets Shelburne. Riley has more power as team president of the Heat than a typical general manager, and built the behemoth that Miami has become after luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade.
  • Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders thinks that the Knicks talks with Jackson are early signs that they will make a splash and replace Mike Woodson this offseason. Jeff Van Gundy, Lionel Hollins, and Tom Thibodeau are some high profile names that have already been linked to the potential vacancy.
  • Nuggets coach Brian Shaw isn’t surprised to hear Jackson’s name as a front office candidate, telling Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the legend is more suited for that kind of role now. “I don’t think at this point that he would really have the energy to [coach],” Shaw said. “I think he would be more inclined to–in terms of constructing a team from top to bottom–be in more of an advisory role or a front-office role, where he can put his imprint on a team in that way.”

D-League Notes: Timberwolves, Trades

March 7 at 7:56pm CDT By Cray Allred

While the NBA’s trade deadline passed over two weeks ago, the D-League’s window for trading players between teams closed today. While deals between D-League teams don’t affect NBA player rights, they can still have an impact on which NBA teams and development staffs get the closest look at prospects at that level. Here are some notes from the D-League, including today’s deadline deals:

  • The Timberwolves are looking at owning their own D-League team, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Wolfson says the Iowa Energy, who currently serve as an affiliate for the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Bulls, Pelicans, and Wizards, are open to a singular partnership with Minnesota.
  • Sources tell Gino Pilato of D-League Digest that a multi-team trade sent William Buford to the Canton Charge, Vander Blue to the Idaho Stampede, and Richard Howell‘s returning player rights for next year to the Santa Cruz Warriors, among other D-League draft considerations.
  • In the same post, Pilato passes along a trade sending Santa Cruz’s Dominic McGuire to the Tulsa 66ers in exchange for Dominic Sutton‘s returning player rights.
  • Pilato reports one final deal between the Charge and the Delaware 87ers. Kyrylo Fesenko was sent to Canton in a trade that also saw the teams swap second round draft picks.

And-Ones: Lakers, Jackson, Bulls, ‘Melo

March 7 at 5:00pm CDT By Chuck Myron

The Lakers are privately concerned about the quality of the free agent market this summer, and they’re worried about the prospect of a third straight season outside of the title picture next year, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Stein’s note comes within a piece in which he and other ESPN.com writers examine the early-termination option decisions facing LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Most of them believe the quartet of stars, all of whom are in the top 10 of our Free Agent Power Rankings, will indeed become free agents. While we look forward to the summer, here’s the latest from around the league:

  • Phil Jackson “went out of his way” to clarify in an interview with Sam Amick of USA Today that Joe Dumars made the decision last summer to hire Maurice Cheeks as Pistons coach, Amick writes. Jackson served as a consultant during the team’s coaching search last year, and Amick wonders if the Pistons would make a play to replace Dumars with Jackson, who reportedly has an offer to join the Knicks front office.
  • The Bulls haven’t begun to seriously crunch the numbers for a pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, downplaying the idea that Chicago is gearing up to chase the Knicks star.
  • League sources tell Berger that Nikola Mirotic will be seeking salaries worth $3-4MM from the Bulls this summer, as Berger writes in the same piece. That’s a surprise, since an earlier report indicated that Mirotic would probably ask for significantly more than the mid-level exception, worth a starting salary of $5.305MM next season.
  • The Wolves were in deadline talks about trading J.J. Barea, but they aren’t so eager to get rid of him that they’d waive him this summer and use the stretch provision on his more than $4.5MM salary for next season, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cites.

Knicks Rumors: Anthony, Noah, Love

March 7 at 2:19pm CDT By Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony isn’t changing his mind about his desire to opt out of his contract this summer, a source tells Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who adds that the Knicks, long confident about keeping their star, are starting to worry. Windhorst nonetheless believes Anthony would be better served opting in for 2014/15 and testing free agency next year, when a more attractive list of teams will have cap flexibility. Here’s more on a Knicks franchise producing more news than victories these days:

  • Joakim Noah calls the report that he attempted to recruit Anthony to the Bulls “gossip,” but when asked whether it’s accurate, he said the answer doesn’t matter, observes Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. Sam hears that Anthony also had a conversation with Kevin Love, though Sam doesn’t make it entirely clear if they spoke about teaming up.
  • The Knicks will place their D-League affiliate in Westchester, New York, Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com confirms via Twitter. A formal announcement is due Monday. A report late last month indicated a Knicks-owned affiliate in Westchester was in the works to replace New York’s relationship with the Erie BayHawks, who will remain but have a different NBA affiliation next season.
  • The “general consensus” when the Knicks hired GM Steve Mills was that they would eventually seek a talent evaluator to complement him, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who wonders if that’s the role the team is considering for Phil Jackson.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, George, Billups, Thornton

March 6 at 10:53pm CDT By Charlie Adams

As tonight’s NBA action begins to wind down, let’s take a look at a few tidbits from around the Eastern Conference..

  • The Heat and Pacers might be fighting for the top seed in the East, but LeBron James is still open to the idea of mentoring Paul George in the offseason, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. George had expressed interest in the possibility of learning anything he could from James this summer to Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders.
  • The Pistons are no strangers to losing this season, and Chauncey Billups doesn’t think some of his teammates are bothered by their poor play, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. “The thing I hate, to be honest with you, is that losing don’t really hurt to a lot of our guys,” Billups said. “People don’t take it personal, and if you don’t, people will beat you every night. Because everybody needs a win, no matter if you’re on a winning streak or losing streak.”
  • Sacramento was looking to move Marcus Thornton all season long, and the Nets are happy to have acquired him. Thornton has averaged 13.4 points in just 23 minutes per contest over five games. Brian Lewis of the New York Post breaks down Thornton’s game and explores the value he’s brought to Brooklyn so far.
  • With Derrick Rose sidelined, the Bulls have had to rely on more production from Joakim Noah. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times thinks Rose’s absence has forced all of the players on the team to improve.

Knicks Rumors: ‘Melo, Tampering, Bulls, Felton

March 6 at 7:12pm CDT By Charlie Adams

Mike Woodson wasn’t happy when he heard that Joakim Noah was trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Legally, nobody can recruit anyone,” said Woodson to ESPN New York. “You can’t do that at this point. ‘Melo is still wearing a Knicks uniform. Whatever was said, that’s on them (the Bulls).” Lawrence thinks Knicks owner James Dolan is likely to press for the league to investigate the matter, but there’s no word that New York has made any move to do so just yet. Here’s more out of the Big Apple:

  • The Knicks won’t have any kind of a case for tampering, opines Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter links). Beck cites a statement David Stern made in 2010 in which Stern said there’s nothing wrong with players talking about the possibility of playing together one day.
  • Tampering talk aside, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders thinks it would make sense for Anthony to sign with Chicago this offseason. Koutroupis observes that Dwight Howard found himself in a similar set of circumstances last summer, and the center’s departure from L.A. wound up working in his favor.
  • Raymond Felton is one year removed from posting productive numbers for a division-champion Knicks team, but his performance this year has been less-than-stellar. Woodson acknowledged that Felton’s struggles have hurt the team this season on a radio interview on ESPN New York’s Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the full story.

Chicago’s Pursuit Of ‘Melo Hinges On Mirotic

March 6 at 12:44pm CDT By Chuck Myron

The Bulls are planning an aggressive pursuit of a major addition this summer and they won’t fear paying the luxury tax if it comes to that, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports in an Insider-only piece. Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Mirotic are the two primary candidates, Broussard writes, adding that it’s an either-or proposition. Chicago will go after the Knicks star if it decides to wait until 2015 to bring on Mirotic, who’d require a hefty salary plus a sizable buyout from Real Madrid of Spain, which has the forward under contract until 2016.

Joakim Noah made a recruiting pitch to Anthony at the All-Star Game, telling him that his best chance to win a ring is in Chicago, and Derrick Rose would also love to see the Knicks star jump to the Bulls, Broussard reported this morning. A report from January indicated that Anthony would prefer Chicago to Los Angeles, though Anthony told reporters at the All-Star break that his priority is to re-sign with the Knicks. Broussard is “beginning to think” that Anthony will leave New York, but that appears to be mere speculation.

The Bulls would have to use the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer to sign either Anthony or Mirotic for more than the mid-level exception, which would be well beneath market value for either of them. Chicago would likely have to make additional salary-clearing moves to open up enough room for Anthony, depending on how much less than his maximum starting salary of more than $22.458MM he’d be willing to take. The Bulls hold the NBA rights to the 23-year-old Mirotic, widely seen as the best player outside the NBA. Mirotic was the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, but since three years have passed, he and the Bulls are no longer required to come to terms on a rookie scale contract.

Chicago paid the tax last season for the first time in franchise history, and the Bulls are in danger of paying it again this year if Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah trigger incentive clauses in their contracts. There’s a reasonable chance that either Gibson or Noah will do so, and if the Bulls pay the tax this season, another taxpaying year in 2014/15 or 2015/16 would make the team subject to the league’s repeat-offender tax penalties the following season. Those repeater rates begin at $2.50 for every dollar spent beyond the tax threshold.

Atlantic Rumors: Carmelo, Crawford, Gay

March 6 at 10:54am CDT By Chuck Myron

Joakim Noah attempted to sell Carmelo Anthony on the idea of joining the Bulls this summer when the two spoke at the All-Star break, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard. The Knicks star was non-committal, though he expressed admiration for the way Chicago plays, Broussard notes, adding that the conversation began with Anthony asking Noah what it’s like to play for Tom Thibodeau (All four Twitter links). Broussard also hears that Derrick Rose, who’s notorious for refusing to recruit other players to the Bulls, would love Anthony to join Chicago and would reach out to him if the team asked him to (Twitter link). I touched on the possibility of the No. 2 player on the Hoops Rumors 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings joining the Bulls when I examined Anthony’s free agent stock Wednesday. Here’s more on Anthony’s current team as we check the latest from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Knicks have been linked to 2015 free agent Kevin Love on numerous occasions, but if Anthony re-signs, Love’s poor defense and an offensive game that’s too similar to Anthony’s would make him a poor fit, opines Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal.
  • Soon-to-be free agent Jordan Crawford has fond memories of his time with the Celtics, who traded him to the Warriors in January, and he greeted Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge warmly before Golden State’s game in Boston on Wednesday. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has the details.
  • Rudy Gay will hear plenty of boos when he returns to Toronto with the Kings on Friday, but Raptors ownership deserves blame for setting up the compromising situation that led to Gay’s acquisition last year, argues Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Bogut’s Bonus Could Push Warriors Into Tax

March 5 at 1:11pm CDT By Chuck Myron

Andrew Bogut will earn a contract bonus worth $425K if he lands a spot on either of the league’s two All-Defensive Teams this season, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports, noting that it would be just enough to push the Warriors over the $71.748MM luxury tax threshold. The Bulls have a similar arrangement with Taj Gibson that would put them into tax territory, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports previously reported, but Lowe reveals that bonuses for Joakim Noah could also knock the Bulls over the line. A bonus that Lowe reports is a part of Serge Ibaka‘s deal wouldn’t force the Thunder to pay the tax, but it might have if the team had used a significant portion of its room under the tax at the trade deadline, as it appeared Oklahoma City attempted to do.

Bogut and a few of his teammates would also receive bonuses worth enough money to force the Warriors to pay the luxury tax if they make the Finals. Golden State has never paid the tax, as Deeks has noted, though co-owner Joe Lacob has said multiple times this season that he would be willing to do so under the proper circumstances.

A Finals berth would probably qualify under Lacob’s criteria, but an All-Defensive Team nod for Bogut during a season in which the team languishes near the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture seems a paltry return on a tax investment. Bogut is third in the league in defensive rating and ninth in defensive win shares, according to Basketball-Reference.com, so there’s a realistic chance he receives the bonus and triggers the tax penalty. The team likely took that into account when it acquired Steve Blake and his $4MM salary at the trade deadline, Lowe observes, figuring that the Warriors sought a cheaper alternative but came up empty.

Noah will make $500K if he earns a first-team All-NBA selection, and with a case to be made that the Bulls center has been as valuable as anyone not named LeBron James or Kevin Durant this season, Noah stands a reasonable shot at receiving the bonus. The money would be more than enough to push the Bulls into the tax regardless of what happens with Gibson. Their recent signing of Jimmer Fredette for the season was an indication the team is betting that Gibson and Noah won’t trigger the bonuses this season, and there’s much at stake. The Bulls paid the tax last season, meaning the team would be in line for backbreaking repeat-offender tax rates if it pays the tax again this year and in 2014/15. Noah would also receive $250K if the Bulls win the title, according to Lowe, though that seems quite a long shot, and that bonus alone wouldn’t be enough to force Chicago to pay the tax.

Ibaka receives $250K if he wins Defensive Player of the Year honors, and while he’s not the favorite to do so, Lowe deems him a candidate, which is no stretch, considering he finished second in voting for the award in 2011/12 and third last season. The Knicks reportedly rejected a deadline offer that would have sent Iman Shumpert to the Thunder in exchange for Oklahoma City’s 2014 first-rounder. The exact proposal is unclear, Lowe writes, but if it was a straight exchange of Shumpert for a pick, it would have left the Thunder a few hundred thousand dollars under the tax even if Ibaka had received his bonus, by my calculations. Ibaka also gets a $100K bonus if he makes the All-Defensive First Team, but the league lists that as a likely bonus, meaning it’s already applied to team salary.