The Bulls' season is done, despite gritting out a tough run of injuries--not to mention their season-long absence of 2011 MVP, Derrick Rose--to defeat the Nets and advance to the second round. Even with Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and the aforementioned Rose out, and with Taj Gibson's knee bothering him, the Bulls pushed the Heat a lot more than many expected. 

With the Bulls' season over, now is the time to plot for Rose's heralded return (a season later than expected), and decide whether to make a splash this offseason or hold firm and see what this year's tough group can do with a healthy and rested Rose.

• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune provides a primer on the state of the Bulls' guaranteed contracts next season, and with $72,044,288 earmarked for just eight players, the Bulls are hoping to find someone like Nate Robinson who can inject some offense without making more than the league minimum. 
• Paul Ladewski at SheridanHoops.com thinks the Bulls should go after Al Jefferson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz and Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun Times bids adieu to important backcourt producers, Robinson and Marco Belinelli, who will likely sign with other teams this offseason when they become unrestricted free agents. The Bulls are expected to buy out Richard Hamilton's contract this summer, so they'll have a paucity of guards under contract for next season, and Cowley notes that Tom Thibodeau is looking for more outside shooting at the lowest cost they can find. 
• Indiana guard, Victor Oladipo, told Vincent Goodwell at the Detroit News he had his best team interview at the NBA pre draft combine on Friday with the Pistons. The Pistons love his defensive tenacity and motor, and Oladipo says he'd be a good fit for the "defensively oriented" team.
• Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote in her mailbag the Cavs shouldn't look to acquire Paul Pierce this summer, but believes the team wants to win now and could be looking to add "significant veteran" to their younger squad using a collection of draft picks and money. 
• In another in a series of pre-draft columns, Mary Schmitt Boyer also looks at the pro prospects of Michigan point guard and NCAA Tournament hero, Trey Burke.

As day three of the NBA draft combine comes to a close, updates are still coming in from reporters stationed in Chicago for the event, which runs through Sunday. We covered the news from the first part of the day in this post, and we'll round up additional items here:

• Robbins adds Victor Oladipo and Nate Wolters to the list of players the Magic have interviewed, which includes a total of 18 prospects. Trey Burke isn't one of them, but he'll likely visit Orlando soon for a lengthy workout and interview.
• Zeller has interviewed with 10 teams at the combine, and the Sixers are one of them, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Earlier updates:

• Nerlens Noel told Andy Katz of ESPN that he's interviewed with the Celtics, Magic, Bobcats, Suns, Pelicans and Cavaliers, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv passes along. Katz also hears Gorgui Dieng and Jamaal Franklin are hopeful they'll be healthy enough to work out before the draft. Alex Len won't be ready to hit the court until August, but he's planning to talk with 15 teams at the combine, according to Katz.
• Dennis Schroeder is one of a pair of international prospects rumored to have received a promise from a team, and he said following an interview with the Bucks at the combine that Milwaukee could be a fit for him, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Schroeder also sees a chance for playing time with the Jazz.
• The Magic interviewed Otto Porter during the combine, and scheduled a meeting with Kelly Olynyk as well, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links).
• Sean Deveney of The Sporting News counts Cody Zeller among those with a shot at becoming the top pick after an impressive showing in drills today.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press adds Brandon Paul and Tony Mitchell to the list of Pistons interviewees. Paul has a workout with the team scheduled for later this month.
• The Oregonian's Jason Quick looks at the prospect interview process the Trail Blazers employ, and adds that GM Neil Olshey flew to Europe this spring to scout Rudy Gobert and Dario Saric, who aren't taking part in the combine.

The Hoops Rumors Agency Database isn't just for current NBA players. Several draft prospects have already selected their agents, and we'll keep track of them in the database as well. We'll also pass along the news in a regular post whenever a player changes agents or chooses one for the first time. That's what we're doing here as we round up the latest on the draft ahead of next week's Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago:

• Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports tweets that Nerlens Noel and Alex Len are expected to show up, although neither are expected to do much of anything. 
• Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com shared the list of players invited to the pre-draft camp (Sulia link). ESPN's Chad Ford tweets that James Ennis and Norvel Pelle are among the most interesting names on the list, and that it'll be surprising if Rudy Gobert and Dennis Schroeder show up, on account of the rarity of international prospects making the trip in years past.  
• Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times tweets that potential lottery pick Dario Saric will not be attending the Pre-Draft Camp, as he is still playing overseas. 
• Former Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo is going with Raymond Brothers of IAM Sports & Entertainment, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Brothers' list of NBA clients includes Zach Randolph and Caron Butler. 
• Happy Walters of Relativity Sports is expected to sign Shane Larkin, Goodman reports via Twitter.
• Trey Burke's father, Benji, will represent his son, opening up a basketball division of his family's agency to do, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The agency, Infinite Sports, specializes in football (Twitter links).
• In his NBA AM piece, Lang Greene of HoopsWorld explores the question of whether highly touted underclassmen should stay in school, like Marcus Smart, or enter the draft. Greene also passes along a video interview with first-round hopeful Jamaal Franklin. 

Two nights after the Bulls shocked the Heat in Miami and the Spurs outlasted the Warriors in a double-OT thriller, all four teams are back in action tonight. As we look forward to an encore of Monday's incredible doubleheader, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

• ESPN.com's Chad Ford provided plenty of new draft-related content today, unveiling version 2.0 of his mock and chatting with ESPN.com readers about next month's draft. Of note: Ford believes Trey Burke's stock continues to rise and that the Michigan guard could go as high as first overall.
• With so many teams seeking a new head coach, Patrick Ewing tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he's disappointed not to be receiving any interest for the open positions.
• While it appears no teams have contacted Ewing, former head coach Jerry Sloan has fielded calls from "a couple" teams, as Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. Sloan characterized those calls as exploratory, with no offers forthcoming at the moment. He also added that he hasn't been contacted by the Nets, meaning there's "no reason to talk about" a potential reunion with Deron Williams.
• Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson suggested that Chris Hansen "take a step back" from his pursuit of the Kings and start exploring other ways to bring a team to Seattle. Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee has the details.
• In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com answered questions about potential targets in the draft and free agency for the Pistons.

With the Nuggets in control in Denver and Grizz-Clips set for the late game in Los Angeles, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league here on Tuesday night:

• Regarding any Dwight Howard to the Sixers speculation, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com agrees with our Luke Adams, tweeting that the team doesn't have the cap space to sign Howard.  Moore also adds that Howard would probably not want to come to Philadelphia even if they did.
• Jeff Goodman and the CBS Sports crew unveil their latest mock draft, which shows Trey Burke (No. 4) and Shane Larkin (No. 14) as the latest risers.  We are exactly three weeks away from the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery.
• In a phone conversation on Tuesday evening, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said he will have a major announcement regarding the ownership of the team within the next week, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.  Taylor didn't elaborate much, only suggesting that the news will likely be surprising.  Taylor said Rick Adelman's return "looks very favorable," but wouldn't comment on the job security of David Kahn or any rumors about Flip Saunders or Phil Jackson. 

They say it's great to leave on a high note and no one understands that better than Michigan's Trey Burke.  After guiding the Wolverines to a National Championship and picking up every national player of the year award along the way, the sophomore announced that he would enter the 2013 draft. In the last couple of months, Burke has vaulted up mock drafts all across the web and appears to be a mortal lock for the top ten.  

There's no debate about it, Burke is universally regarded as the top point guard in this year's class.  The 20-year-old has tremendous passing ability and has a knack for finding the open man in traffic.  He also knows how to keep command of the basketball with his high-level ball handling and he has cut down on turnovers from his freshman to sophomore year.  Burke completes the triple threat profile with his shooting ability and has tremendous range from outside.  Offensively, his skill set projects extremely well to the next level.

The Michigan star isn't quite as promising on the other side of the floor and bigger opponents have given him trouble at various points this season.  That's obviously going to come up even more often for the 6'0" guard in the NBA and he'll have to toughen up in order to keep his assignment in check.  It's worth noting that while Burke is undersized, he does boast an impressive 6'5" wingspan which will be a major asset as he looks to improve his defense.

Despite his height disadvantage, Burke still holds more promise than the other true point guards in this class such as Syracuse standout Michael Carter-Williams and Miami's Shane Larkin.  Burke is extremely well-rounded on offense and when we look back on this year's draft, Burke may stand out as one of a few memorable talents from a thin class.  How high will he go?  DraftExpress currently has him pegged at No. 5 while the latest mock draft from ESPN's Chad Ford puts Burke at No. 6.  It's hard to imagine Burke surging ahead of Ben McLemore or projected No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel, but strong showings in workouts coupled with a favorable lottery draw could vault him as high as No. 3.

Michigan point guard Trey Burke will enter this year's draft, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Burke will make a formal announcement Sunday. The 6'1" 20-year-old led the Wolverines to the NCAA championship game this year, sweeping every major national player of the year award in the process.

Still, both Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com rate him as only the seventh-best prospect in the draft. He bounced back from a seven-point, 1-for-8 shooting performance in the national semifinals against Syracuse and fellow highly regarded point guard Michael Carter-Williams with a 24-point effort in the title game. Burke, a sophomore, averaged 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game this season, and shot 38.4% from the three-point line.

There's no word on whether he's hired an agent, so if he hasn't, he could conceivably withdraw from the draft by Tuesday's deadline and return to school next season. That would be a long shot, though, especially since next year's draft field is expected to be much more crowded at the top.

In our latest round of draft updates, one potential first-rounder has declared for the draft, while another appears unlikely to do so and a third remains undecided. Let's dive in....

• Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas will forgo his senior year of NCAA ball and declare for the draft, the school announced today in a press release. Thomas, who averaged 19.8 PPG for the Buckeyes this season, is ranked 48th among this year's prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford and 57th by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, but at least one veteran NBA scout thinks the 21-year-old could be picked late in the first round, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
• In a conversation with Esteban Novillo of Marca.com (English link via Sportando), international prospect Dario Saric indicated that he's not expecting to enter this year's draft, despite reports to the contrary. Saric wants to spend more time improving his game and hopes to eventually be a top-15 pick.
• Trey Burke's mother, Ronda Burke, tells Eric Adelson of Yahoo! Sports that her son hasn't made a decision about entering this year's draft yet. It's no surprise that the Michigan guard and his family would want to delay any announcements until after this weekend's Final Four to avoid any distractions.
• Burke will be one of the prospects to watch this weekend in Atlanta, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link), who takes note of a few players who have a chance to increase their respective draft stocks in the Final Four.

As we look forward to what should be a fun Final Four in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, let's check in on the latest updates on the 2013 NBA draft....

• Memphis forward Adonis Thomas will forgo his last two years of NCAA eligibility and enter the draft, coach Josh Pastner confirmed to L. Jason Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Thomas, who will hire an agent, is ranked just outside of Chad Ford's top 100 list at ESPN.com, and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) questions his decision to leave Memphis.

Earlier updates:

• ESPN.com's Chad Ford isn't ruling out the possibility that the No. 2 prospect on his board, Marcus Smart, returns to Oklahoma State, but Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com says Smart is leaning toward declaring for the draft. Within the same tweet, Goodman adds that Smart's teammate, LeBryan Nash, will remain in school.
• Croatian prospect Dario Saric will enter the draft, reports Ford. The 18-year-old is being eyed as a "potential sleeper" by a number of teams, according to the ESPN.com scribe.
• Michigan's Trey Burke is up to 7th on ESPN.com's big board, and could continue to rise with a strong performance against Syracuse this Saturday, according to Ford.
• Gary Harris of Michigan State is believed to be leaning toward returning to school and undergoing shoulder surgery this summer, says Ford.
• Multiple sources tell Ford that Kelly Olynyk is expected to declare for the '13 draft, though the Gonzaga big man hasn't made it official yet.
• College coaches and players are aware that the NCAA's April 16th withdrawal deadline is relatively meaningless, writes ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Last month, we passed along Jonathan Givony's explanation for why that's the case.
• Isaiah Sykes of Central Florida will declare for the draft, but won't hire an agent, giving him an opportunity to withdraw, tweets Goodman.

In 2003, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim directed a squad led by NBA-hopefuls Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara, and freshman Carmelo Anthony through the NCAA tournament and ultimately to a national championship after besting Roy Williams and the Kansas Jayhawks in the final game. Boeheim increased his chances of celebrating the ten-year anniversary of that title win with another one this year, as his Orangemen - headed by first-round prospect Michael Carter-Williams - advanced to the Final Four after defeating Marquette tonight. That aside, here are a few rumblings surrounding some potential draft prospects this year:

• ESPN NBA insider Chad Ford tweets that Carter-Williams is peaking at the right time and could be one of three point guards selected in the top 10 in June. 
• Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld discusses how Michigan's Trey Burke has helped his draft stock with a strong tournament thus far, but the same can't be said for Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart or Indiana's Cody Zeller. While Smart and Zeller have been ranked ahead of Burke for the most part, Brigham thinks that the Wolverine point guard could have a chance at leapfrogging both on the draft board this summer.
• Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post takes an in-depth look at Alex Len of Maryland, using advanced stats to gauge the 7'1 center's efficiency as a low-post player.