Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Hire Doug Collins As Senior Advisor

September 19th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have hired former NBA head coach Doug Collins to a front office role, announcing today in a press release that Collins is joining the organization as a senior advisor of basketball operations. Collins will report to Bulls executive VP of basketball ops John Paxson, according to the team.

“Doug will be great in this capacity for our organization. The position of ‘senior advisor’ has proven to work well around the NBA in recent years, and I am confident the same will hold true with the Bulls,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “The fact that our relationship goes back more than 30 years certainly helps, but he is especially qualified to assist our leadership in rebuilding the Bulls.”

In a statement of his own, Paxson suggested that Collins will “regularly contribute observations, insights and suggestions” to the Bulls’ front office, with Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link) likening Collins’ new role to the one that Jerry West previously held with the Warriors — and now holds with the Clippers.

Collins, of course, began his NBA coaching career more than three decades ago for the Bulls. He was named Chicago’s head coach in 1986, and held that position until 1989. Collins later went on to coach the Pistons, Wizards, and Sixers, with his most recent coaching stint in Philadelphia coming to an end in 2013. He has served as an ESPN analyst in recent years.

David Nwaba Aims To Stick With Bulls

September 18th, 2017 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Second-year shooting guard David Nwaba was claimed off waivers by the Bulls in July, but isn’t necessarily guaranteed a roster spot in Chicago. In an interesting piece for The Players’ Tribune, Nwaba acknowledges as much, but points out that he has overcome long odds before and fully intends to stick around as a Bull.

Bulls Notes: Wade, Hoiberg, Forman, Dunn

September 17th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade hasn’t contacted the Bulls’ front office about his desire for a buyout and is hoping the team makes the first move, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Wade made his feelings clear that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding project after Chicago traded Jimmy Butler to Minnesota in June. However, he is reluctant to give up much of the $23.8MM salary for the upcoming season that he opted into and apparently believes he can get a better deal if Bulls management takes the initiative on buyout talks.

A recent report said Wade hasn’t been in contact with anyone from the front office since the Butler deal and that he felt misled because he was given assurances that the Bulls would try to remain competitive before he opted in. At 35, Wade is by far the oldest and most expensive player on Chicago’s roster and he clearly doesn’t fit the team’s youth movement. How far each side is willing to continue before buyout talks begin will be among the most interesting storylines of the new season.

Cowley shares more information out of Chicago:

Expectations will be different for coach Fred Hoiberg with the revamped roster, but he still has to show progress to keep his job. Hoiberg has been under fire from fans and the media since coming to Chicago two years ago and was publicly criticized by Butler early in his first season. Cowley calls it “sink-or-swim time” for Hoiberg, who has to turn a young roster into the type of team he envisioned when he was hired.
GM Gar Forman’s fate is probably tied to Hoiberg’s, Cowley adds. Forman, who made the decision to bring Hoiberg out of the college ranks, is already unpopular with Bulls’ fans, some of whom paid to put up a billboard in July calling for the firing of him and president of basketball operations John Paxson.
Kris Dunn, part of the package acquired in exchange for Butler, has an open path toward being the starting point guard. The fifth pick of the 2016 draft, Dunn had a disappointing rookie season in Minnesota, but the Bulls have no obvious successor to Rajon Rondo.
The Bulls are happy with what they have seen from first-round pick Lauri Markkanen during summer league and EuroBasket. The seventh overall selection will be “a key foundation piece” of the rebuild.
Robin Lopez is the team’s most valuable trade commodity and seems likely to be moved during the season. The 29-year-old center averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in his first season with the Bulls after being acquired in a deal with the Knicks.

Bulls Will Get At Least One Shot At Current Lottery

September 16th, 2017 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls should get at least one shot at a top draft pick before lottery reform is implemented, writes Mark Schanowski of CSNChicago. Chicago launched a rebuilding project by trading Jimmy Butler this summer and seems headed toward one of the league’s worst records. Even if owners approve the latest proposal to reform the lottery, the changes won’t take effect until 2019, meaning next summer’s draft will be conducted under the current system. If the Bulls finish with the worst record in the league this season, they will have a 25% shot at the top pick in June. Schanowski notes that the team will have $40MM to $50MM in cap space next summer, which could speed up the rebuilding process if combined with an elite draft choice.

Wade Won't Force Buyout; Pargo's New G League Role; Stone's Opportunity

September 15th, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Austin Kent

While there’s reason to believe that Dwyane Wade would graciously accept a buyout from the Bulls, he’s not going to put up a fuss about it, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Wade, after all, has 23.8 million reasons to put up with being a good sport for the rest of the season.

It’s been said that Wade started hoping for a buyout following the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. If that deal serves as the symbolic beginning of Chicago’s rebuild, then it doesn’t make an awful lot of sense for the Bulls, as an organization, to continue paying such an exorbitant amount for a 35-year-old that isn’t particularly motivated to stay there.

Wade averaged a respectable 18.3 points per game for the Bulls last season and could no doubt contribute to a contender should he be bought out and freed up to sign with one. That said, the 15-year-veteran has a solid reputation, not to mention a legacy, to uphold during the final years of his career.

The Bulls have named Jannero Pargo the new head coach of their Windy City G League team, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Despite only suiting up for seven games during his rookie year, Diamond Stone finds himself on his fourth team since getting drafted last summer. His latest opportunity, with the Bulls, could be his best yet, Dan Santaromita of CSN Chicago writes.

Bulls Had Interest In Re-Signing Anthony Morrow

September 15th, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Morrow will officially come off the market shortly, having reached an agreement with the Trail Blazers. Before striking a deal with Portland though, Morrow also received interest from several teams, including the Timberwolves, Bucks, Pelicans, and Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

Bulls Sign Diamond Stone

September 14th, 2017 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

10:02am: The Bulls have made it official, issuing a press release to announce Stone’s deal.

8:02am: The Bulls are bringing former Maryland center Diamond Stone to training camp, according to Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days, who reports (via Twitter) that Stone has agreed to a two-year, partially guaranteed deal with the club.

According to Reichert (via Twitter), Stone’s guarantee doesn’t exceed $50K, making him eligible to become an affiliate player for the Windy City Bulls this season if he doesn’t make Chicago’s regular season roster.

Stone, 20, was the 40th overall pick in 2016, acquired on draft night by the Clippers, who sent the No. 33 pick to New Orleans for Nos. 39 and 40. However, the young center barely played during his rookie season, appearing briefly in seven games for L.A. Stone saw a little more action in the G League, averaging 16.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 13 total games for the Santa Cruz Warriors and Salt Lake City Stars.

The Clippers sent Stone to Atlanta in the three-way July trade that landed Danilo Gallinari in L.A. However, like Jamal Crawford, who also went from the Clips to the Hawks in the deal, Stone was subsequently waived by Atlanta, despite his guaranteed salary for 2017/18.

The Bulls currently only have 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so it’s possible Stone will be given the opportunity to win a regular season roster spot. However, Nikola Mirotic figures to fill the club’s 14th roster spot if and when he re-signs, and Stone will face competition from other non-guaranteed players – such as David Nwaba – for the final opening, if Chicago even carries a full 15-man roster. Stone currently seems more likely to land in the G League after he spends the preseason with the Bulls.

Bulls A 'Wreck' After Butler Trade; Wade Works Out With James

September 12th, 2017 at 10:07pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bulls squandered Jimmy Butler and it has left the franchise a wreck, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports says in his review of the club’s offseason.
Time to bring out your tinfoil banana boat again — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are working out together, Alex Tekip of ESPN writes. If the Bulls buy Wade out, he could join his former teammate on the Cavaliers.

Dwyane Wade Could Produce For Contendor

September 10th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Speculation that Dwyane Wade could become a free agent this offseason hit a new level this week when the Bulls guard said that he’d be willing to sit down and chat about his future with the organization. If he were to be bought out in order to pursue a role elsewhere, what sort of impact could he reasonably expect to make? Frank Urbina of HoopsHype decided to take a look.

The two teams most often linked to Wade have been the Cavaliers and the Heat. A move to Cleveland would pair Wade with former teammate LeBron James while Miami is, of course, the place he spent the first 13 seasons of his career. Urbina, however, argues that the 35-year-old could have more suitors than just that and could end up being a game-changing reserve for a team’s second-unit if he parts ways with the Bulls.

In a comprehensive look at the type of value Wade is still capable of providing in the twilight of his career, Urbina writes that the Bulls vet has carved out a few reliable offensive moves that have helped him remain competitive despite dwindling athleticism, including an impressive post-up game and a potent fadeaway jumper.

Bulls’ Cameron Payne Out For 3-4 Months

September 8th, 2017 at 10:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 8: The Bulls have provided another update on Payne, announcing today in a press release that he underwent successful surgery on his right foot on Wednesday. The point guard is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months, according to the team. That would put Payne on track to return in December or January.

AUGUST 31: The Bulls have issued a formal update on Payne, confirming that he’ll undergo surgery on his broken foot next Wednesday.

According to the team, a six-week period of rest in a boot was prescribed for Payne after he suffered the injury in mid-July, but the fracture hasn’t healed satisfactorily since then, resulting in a surgery recommendation.

AUGUST 30: Cameron Payne will undergo surgery on his right foot and his recovery is expected to keep him out of action until late November, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Payne dealt with injuries to the foot earlier in his career and he re-aggravated the injury this offseason playing for the Bulls’ Summer League team. It was his first offseason with Chicago, as the organization traded for him at the 2017 trade deadline.

The Thunder selected Payne with the No. 14 overall pick out of Murray State in the 2015 draft. In his two seasons as a pro, the point guard averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 assists in 13.2 minutes per game.