When Kirk Hinrich tweaked his groin during last night's game against the Thunder, it shone a spotlight on the reality of the Bulls' situation, according to Nick Friedell in a piece for ESPNChicago.com. With Derrick Rose out and the bench having been overhauled in the offseason, it's not clear yet whether Chicago has the depth to withstand another injury or two, opines Friedell. While we wait to hear if Hinrich's injury is any more than a minor issue, here's the rest of this morning's Bulls-related updates:

• Nate Robinson is confident that he can step up and man the point if Hinrich's injury results in missed time, writes Scott Powell of ESPNChicago.com. If he wasn't a lock to make the team already, Robinson certainly appears to be now -- due to the Bulls' hard cap, that means camp invitees Marko Jaric and Ryan Allen have no chance to be on the opening night roster unless the club makes a trade to clear salary.
• Another Bulls camp invitee who was recently waived, Kyrylo Fesenko may be drawing interest from Spanish team Caja Laboral, according to a report passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweeted after Fesenko was cut, the Bulls could consider circling back around to Fesenko later this season, when they can afford to re-sign him.
• With one week remaining to work out a long-term extension with the Bulls, Taj Gibson continues to not let his contract situation affect his play, as he tells Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago. "When you’re in this situation, a lot of people are more focused on it than you," Gibson said. "You just have to let it slide off your shoulders. Joakim [Noah] was talking about to me about it a couple of days ago, but I always just shrug it off.... You really can’t do anything about it, except worry about what you can take care of and that’s the court work. Your agent and the GM has to worry about that."

The Bulls have made a pair of camp cuts so far, waiving both Andre Emmett and Vance Cooksey, but a few more moves are still to come. Even with two roster spots available, Kyrylo Fesenko, Marko Jaric, and Ryan Allen are long shots to make the club, considering the Bulls are only about $758K from their hard cap for the season. Here are the latest links out of Chicago:

• Before Kirk Hinrich signed with the Bulls, former Chicago coach Scott Skiles tried to lure him to the Bucks, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He and I talked at length about it a couple times," Skiles said. "But you know, we weren't dangling a starting job. With Derrick [Rose] out, it's kind of Kirk's show right now. And obviously he lives here (in the Chicago area). There were some things that were against us a little bit. But I do know he struggled over it. When he called and told me what he had decided, I totally understood."
• As Taj Gibson attempts to grow as a player, he's not letting himself be distracted by contract issues, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
• New Bulls additions Marco Belinelli and Vladimir Radmanovic are still adjusting to coach Tom Thibodeau's system, says Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

• Rick Bonnell of CharlotteObserver.com talks about the improvements that the Bobcats are looking to make on offense following a season which saw them last in the league in field goal percentage, three point shooting percentage, and points per game. 
• Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld examines the opportunity for Pistons rookie Andre Drummond to earn a significant role in Lawrence Frank's rotation. 
• Kirk Hinrich appears to be fitting in well with new Bulls teammates and coach Tom Thibodeau, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. 
• Mike Wells of IndyStar.com looks at Miles Plumlee's struggles to become comfortable on the court, a problem that Pacers coach Frank Vogel believes can only be cured with time and experience. 
• Based on John Henson's four block performance against the Pistons on Saturday, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes that the Bucks may have found a player who can significantly improve their rim protection, which had been one of the team's glaring weaknesses last season.

We've already covered a few stories out of the Eastern Conference today, including Rashard Lewis' desire to play for five more years, the latest on Rasheed Wallace's timetable with the Knicks, and camp cuts by the Sixers and Cavaliers. Now, let's round up another handful of East-related links....

• In the first episode of NBA TV's "The Association," which debuts next week, Nets GM Billy King says Deron Williams urged him not to wait on Dwight Howard and miss out on other opportunities to improve the roster, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
• Johan Petro tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he wasn't caught off guard by the trade that sent him to the Hawks, though his destination was a bit of a surprise. "I knew Brooklyn was really trying to do something with Deron," Petro said. "I didn’t know half the team would be gone but I knew they were going to try and do something."
• Though it's been two years since he played for the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich is already feeling comfortable again in Chicago, and his teammates, new and old, are glad to have him on board. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the details.
• With Wizards owner Ted Leonsis recently conceding that his team is better equipped to develop its own stars rather than recruit them, Washington will be looking for continued growth from Jan Vesely this season, says Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald examines Dionte Christmas' quest to earn a spot on the Celtics' roster.

Although Derrick Rose has expressed a reluctance in the past to take an active role in recruiting free agents, that stance came to an end this summer, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Rose told media in Chicago yesterday that he played a role in helping the Bulls attract Kirk Hinrich in free agency.

"Kirk is someone I could see playing alongside a long time," Rose said. "When you’re a hooper and you know someone on the court is going into a battle with you, and he’s not giving up if he knows you are going to keep battling and I’m someone that will keep fighting to the end, and he’s the same as you, so why not have him on the team? Kirk is the first person I recruited."

As Shams Charania of RealGM.com writes, Rose has talked in the past about wanting to stay out of the team's personnel decisions and leaving that to the front office. However, Charania says Rose sent a "clear message" yesterday that he wants to see the Bulls add players that are passionate to play in Chicago.

"My teammates, they want to be here," Rose said. "It isn’t no trade thing. The people that want to be here, they’re here for a reason: It’s because they want to be here."

Hinrich, who signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Bulls is expected to step in for Rose during the season's first half, while the All-Star point guard recovers from his ACL injury.

Mark Nugent of HoopsWorld has a new column discussing the Chicago Bulls' playoff hopes for the 2012/13 season, as they cope with the loss of Derrick Rose to a torn ACL:

• Nugent believes the losses of Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, and Ronnie Brewer will weaken Chicago's bench, as Taj Gibson will be left as the sole remaining member of the unit that many believed was the best bench in the NBA last season.
• Nugent considers Marco Belinelli to be a downgrade from Korver as the team's designated three-point specialist.
• While Kirk Hinrich has proven a capable veteran presence, Nugent points out that injuries have been a concern with the Bulls' newly signed point guard.
• Regardless, Nugent expects the Bulls to make the playoffs this season, even if much of their title contention hope rests with Rose's recovery timetable.

The Metropolitan King County Council took the initial step towards bringing an NBA arena to Seattle, according to the Associated Press.  Investor Chris Hansen's $490MM plan calls for nearly $300MM in private funds and $200MM in public contribution.  Here's tonight's look around the Association..

• If the Warriors re-sign Brandon Rush, they'll have 15 players on the roster and virtually no wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold.  With that in mind, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group looks at moves that Golden State can make to keep Dominic McGuire.
• Von Wafer's deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese league will be for one-year at $2MM, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).  The Chinese season wraps up much earlier than the NBA season, giving the 27-year-old a chance to sign with a team down the home stretch.
• Kirk Hinrich's new two-year deal with the Bulls is fairly balanced as he will make $3.94MM in year one and $4.06MM in the second season, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter).
• The Magic need to move Dwight Howard in order to give their new coach Jacque Vaughn a fresh slate to work with, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

1:37pm: Hinrich's two-year deal will pay him roughly $8MM, says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. In that case, Hinrich will receive more than $3.09MM in year one, meaning the Bulls are using their full mid-level exception, hard-capping their 2012/13 team salary at about $74.3MM.

JULY 23RD, 12:33pm: The Bulls have officially signed Hinrich, the team announced today in a press release. Since Chicago couldn't work out a sign-and-trade with Atlanta, the deal is expected to consume the team's full taxpayer mid-level exception.

JULY 8TH: The Bulls have reached a verbal agreement on a deal with free agent guard Kirk Hinrich, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). While details are still being finalized, Hinrich is expected a receive a two-year, $6MM contract from the Bulls. Hinrich returns to the franchise that drafted him in 2003 after spending parts of the last two seasons with the Wizards and Hawks. 

By adding Hinrich to their backcourt, the Bulls have given themselves more stability at the guard position with Derrick Rose on the shelf for at least a portion of the upcoming season. The former Kansas star averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.8 APG in 48 games during the 2011/12 season. 

JULY 16: The Hawks have announced via a team press release that they have officially acquired Kyle Korver from the Bulls in exchange for cash. As noted on Twitter by ESPN.com's John Hollinger, the Bulls receive a $5MM trade exception in the deal, and the Timberwolves are no longer involved. 

JULY 13: The trade will also include the Timberwolves, according to Johnson (via Twitter). Korver will be absorbed into the Hawks' $5MM trade exception, and the Bulls will receive a second-round pick from Minnesota, says Johnson. It sounds as if one more detail is required here.

2:18pm: The Bulls have agreed to trade Kyle Korver to the Hawks, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical, and could become a sign-and-trade involving Kirk Hinrich, according to Johnson.

With Korver's $5MM contract only partially guaranteed if the Bulls released him by a certain date, we heard earlier this week that Chicago was exploring the trade market to avoid having to eat any of Korver's 2012/13 salary. The Timberwolves were also mentioned as a potential suitor, but those talks seemed to fall through, leaving Atlanta as a logical fit.

Not only were the Bulls expecting to sign Hinrich, a Hawks' free agent, which means a sign-and-trade deal could work, but Atlanta also recently acquired a trade exception worth $5MM -- exactly the amount of Korver's deal. There are a number of ways the two sides could complete the trade, but either way, the move works out well for Chicago. They'll clear Korver from their books, and could also save their mini mid-level exception for another player if Hinrich is part of the deal. I imagine the Hawks would acquire a future draft pick along with Korver if they agree to a sign-and-trade, though we don't know the exact details yet.

Derrick Rose's road to recovery appears to be progressing along nicely according to his brother Reggie, who says that the Bulls superstar is "way ahead of schedule." Rose is now walking without a brace and is currently in California enjoying a quiet retreat from Chicago in the meantime (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago has the report). Here's what else we've heard out of Chicago tonight, including more on Omer Asik, thoughts on Dwight Howard, and a returning Bull..

• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the team's thought process with regards to the luxury tax and the implications that could arise after matching Houston's offer sheet to Omer Asik. He also says that the team hasn't ruled out re-signing John Lucas III and that free agent guard Patrick Beverley could receive a training camp invite. 
• Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago explains why any talk of Dwight Howard going to the Bulls will remain a fantasy. 
• ESPN's Ric Bucher (Video link) talks about the return of Kirk Hinrich and the decision to keep Asik.