Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nikola Mirotic Could Waive Trade Veto

October 26th, 2017 at 6:34pm CST by Austin Kent

There have been indications that Bulls forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis may not be able to co-exist when the former returns to the court following his injury, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. There is now a sense that Mirotic is becoming more open to a trade, with one source suggesting that the situation may be heading toward a “me or him” ultimatum.

Johnson notes that Mirotic, signed to a two-year $27MM contract with trade veto rights during the first season, would now consider waiving that veto if the Bulls were to find a trade partner. Per CBA rules, however, Mirotic can not be traded whatsoever until January 15.

As we wrote last week, a punch from Portis in one of the team’s final practices before the regular season began has rendered Mirotic sidelined for four to six weeks. The 26-year-old suffered a concussion and fractured facial bones as a result of the altercation.

When healthy and utilized heavily, Mirotic can be a solid NBA asset, so his trade value could be intriguing despite the lofty price point. In fact, were it not for the tension that could potentially loom between he and Portis, it could be assumed that Mirotic would slot in alongside players like Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen as possible core pieces for future.

Alas, one can’t blame Mirotic for at least being open to an opportunity elsewhere considering the substantial consequences of the incident.

Kris Dunn To Debut Later This Week

October 24th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Kris Dunn, who has yet to make his debut for the Bulls, will come off the bench when he returns to the court, head coach Fred Hoiberg said today (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune). Dunn is expected to play his first game for Chicago on either Thursday or Saturday.

Bulls Notes: Front Office, Wade, Mirotic, Portis

October 24th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

In an in-depth and well-researched piece for ESPN, Nick Friedell examines how the Bulls went from a title contender to one of the NBA’s worst teams within the last several years. Friedell’s report, which begins by revisiting Derrick Rose‘s first major injury back in 2012, provides plenty of interesting tidbits along the way, touching on the tension between Tom Thibodeau and the front office, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah, Dwyane Wade and his young teammates, and Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic.

As Friedell details, there has no been no shortage of issues in Chicago in recent years, with even the most successful seasons during that stretch including a few sour notes. For instance, sources tell Friedell that executives John Paxson and Gar Forman felt like they didn’t get enough credit for the roster they built during the Thibodeau years.

Friedell’s whole piece is worth a read, but here are a couple more details from it, along with more Bulls notes:

When the Bulls landed Wade last summer, Forman conveyed the impression that the front office had been planning its pursuit of Wade for weeks. In reality though, according to Friedell, the Bulls were “shocked” that they had an opportunity to pry Wade away from the Heat, and altered their rebuilding plans when it became clear they could sign him.
Via Freidell, here’s what Paxson had to say about the perception that the Bulls could have done better than the Timberwolves’ package in a Butler trade: “Teams would call us all the time and probe about Jimmy and that type of thing. But no one ever made us any type of legitimate offer. In fact, most teams, when they would make an offer, it was somewhat insulting. So we always listened, which teams do, but it really came down to, could we start to rebuild with some quality young players? And hope that knowing what our future holds, it’s going to be painful at times. But if we get into these next few drafts at a fairly significant level, the hope is that pairing what draft picks we have going forward and the players that we got in this deal, we can get back sooner rather than later.”
In a separate article for ESPN, Friedell notes that the fight between Portis and Mirotic denied the Bulls the opportunity to push an optimistic and hopeful narrative about the team’s rebuild to open the season.
Although Portis privately and publicly apologized for punching Mirotic, there are growing concerns that the relationship between the two players may be much more difficult to repair, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. Mirotic hasn’t returned any of Portis’ calls or texts, says Cowley.

Zach LaVine Sees Long-Term Future In Chicago

October 23rd, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls fans won’t get their first look at Zach LaVine for several weeks, but he told reporters today he believes his future is in Chicago, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

LaVine will be a restricted free agent next summer after the deadline for a rookie scale contract extension passed last Monday. Several sources have reported that the Bulls have every intention of keeping the fourth-year combo guard, who was one of the key pieces in June’s Jimmy Butler trade.

LaVine told reporters today that it’s “fine” that an extension wasn’t reached, adding, “I know I’m going to be in black and red for a long time.”

He is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in February while he was with the Timberwolves. Doctors originally gave him a nine-month timeline before he could play again, and the Bulls are sticking to that schedule. LaVine said he feels ready to take the court now, but the team won’t clear him for contact until mid-November (Twitter link).

“I think we’ll re-evaluate when we get close,” he said. “I’m pushing as much as possible. I want to play with my guys.” (Twitter link).

A two-time winner of the Slam Dunk competition at All-Star Weekend, LaVine was putting together his best season before the injury hit. He averaged 18.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 47 games.

Markkanen Receives Praise

October 22nd, 2017 at 3:25pm CST by clarkcrum

In the midst of a rebuilding year and an embarrassing altercation between teammates, the Bulls seem to have found at least one bright spot in rookie Lauri Markkanen, reports Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago. Scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Saturday night’s loss to the Spurs, Markkanen received high praise from a future Hall-of-Famer, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “Markkanen is a wonderful player. He’s aggressive, he’s smart and obviously, he can shoot the ball. He’s just going to get better and better as he figures things out.” With both Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic out for the next several games, at least, Markkanen will continue to have an opportunity to showcase his talent against the rest of the league.

Portis Offers Public Apology To Mirotic

October 21st, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls forward Bobby Portis issued a public apology today for the punch that injured teammate Nikola Mirotic, relays K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The altercation left Mirotic with a concussion and two fractured facial bones that will sideline him for about a month. Portis received an eight-game suspension, cutting further into Chicago’s frontcourt depth.

If Chicago winds up with the top pick in the draft, former Bulls center Pau Gasol knows who they should take, Johnson writes in a separate piece. Gasol, who was in town with the Spurs for a game tonight, offered a hearty endorsement of Slovenian star Luka Doncic, whom he faced in this year’s Eurobasket semifinals. “He’s a very, very talented player. It’s really rare how well this guy plays at his age [18]. He just continues to grow,” Gasol said. “It’s the right path. You see a guy who has done really well so far and is an exceptional young player with great size, great fundamentals, great composure, great poise to his game for his age — for any age for that matter.”

Bulls Notes: Pondexter, Portis, Dunn

October 20th, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by Austin Kent

After a tumultuous two years on the sidelines, Bulls forward Quincy Pondexter made an emotional return to the court in Chicago’s season opener, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago writes. The 29-year-old missed the last two seasons recovering from a knee injury, as well as a life-threatening MRSA infection.

Just last January one of Pondexter’s knee surgeries went south, resulting in the guard nearly dying in a New York hospital due to the antibiotic-resistant infection. “It wasn’t looking good,” Pondexter said. “It was tough. Being able to play basketball again in less than a year is crazy. This journey has been amazing.”

Pondexter scored eight points in his return but despite a prolific three-point shot, the veteran’s biggest contribution to the young Bulls will likely be his leadership. Pondexter has served as a valued role player for the Pelicans and the Grizzlies and will look to continue where he left off in 2014/15.

There’s more from Chicago:

Head coach Fred Hoiberg told Nick Friedell of ESPN that Bobby Portis apologized to his teammates in a recent team meeting.
There are too many variables at play for Bulls President of Basketball Operations John Paxson to put a timeline on the team’s rebuild, Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score tweets.
If the Bulls were hoping for a quiet 2017/18 season to develop young players and establish a new culture, that vanished the moment Bobby Portis punched Nikola Mirotic, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Now the club in transition will be viewed under a microscope.
Second-year guard Kris Dunn could make his season debut as early as next week, NBA writer Sean Highkin tweets. Dunn had been expected to be sidelined 2-to-4 weeks as recently as last week.

2017 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

October 20th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Austin Kent

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Chicago Bulls.

Signings:

Cristiano Felicio: Four years, $32MM.
Nikola Mirotic: Two years, $25MM. Second-year team option.
Justin Holiday: Two years, $9MM.
Antonio Blakeney: Two-way contract. Two years, $50K guaranteed for each season.
Ryan Arcidiacono: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Diamond Stone: Two years, minimum salary. $50K guarantee. (Waived)
Bronson Koenig: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
Jaylen Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Jarell Eddie: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)

Waiver claims:

Claimed David Nwaba off waivers from the Lakers.
Claimed Kay Felder off waivers from the Cavaliers.

Trades:

Acquired Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen (No. 7 pick) from the Timberwolves in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton (No. 16 pick).
Acquired cash ($3.5MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bell (No. 38 pick).
Acquired Quincy Pondexter, the Pelicans’ 2018 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.

Draft picks:

1-7: Lauri Markkanen — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Jimmy Butler
Isaiah Canaan (waived)
Michael Carter-Williams
Joffrey Lauvergne
Anthony Morrow
Rajon Rondo (waived)
Dwyane Wade (bought out)

Other offseason news:

Hired Doug Collins as senior advisor of basketball operations.
As a result of a punch thrown by Bobby Portis, Nikola Mirotic expected to be out until late November with facial injuries; Portis suspended for eight games.
Cameron Payne out until at least December with a foot injury.

Salary cap situation:

Operating over the cap, but can create more than $17MM in cap room if necessary. Carrying approximately $81.4MM in guaranteed team salary. Portion of mid-level exception ($3.79MM) and full bi-annual exception ($3.29MM) still available.

Check out the Chicago Bulls’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

With mounting pressure to commit to an inevitable rebuild, the Bulls finally opted to ship lone star Jimmy Butler westward for a handful of intriguing young building blocks.

To say that Chicago fans have grown skeptical that Gar Forman and John Paxson are the men to lead them into the next great era of Bulls basketball is an understatement. Nevertheless, the executive team has accepted the ambitious task and attempted to make the most of a less-than-stellar chapter in franchise history.

While the Bulls may be a way off from their next postseason appearance, we can give the organization credit for hopping off the treadmill of mediocrity. Baby steps, people.

Key offseason losses:

The Bulls managed to break the 40-win mark in each of the past two seasons largely because they’ve had Butler on board to keep the team relevant in the Post-Healthy-Derrick-Rose Era. This season, however, the All-NBA forward will ply his trade for former coach Tom Thibodeau in Minneapolis. The team will miss Butler’s ability to shoulder the offensive load, among other things, but fans should be reasonably pleased with the haul he yielded.

Besides Butler, a pair of former All-Star guards made their exit from Chicago this summer — Dwyane Wade received a late offeseason buyout, while Rajon Rondo was waived before his full 2017/18 guarantee kicked in. While Wade and Rondo were valued pieces that nearly helped the Bulls upset the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last spring, they’re 35 and 31 years old, respectively, and weren’t going to be part of the all-out rebuild unfolding at the United Center.

The Bulls also said farewell to backup guard Michael Carter-Williams this summer, and while he didn’t play much of a role in his only season with the squad, he could have been an intriguing piece for the team if given more of an opportunity. That opportunity could have come this season considering that Wade and Rondo are gone, but the 26-year-old former Rookie of the Year will play for the Hornets instead.

Key offseason additions:

While he’ll need to prove that he can bounce back from the torn ACL he suffered last season, Zach LaVine represents Chicago’s closest thing to a star. LaVine averaged 18.9 points per game for the Timberwolves last season, despite competing with two franchise cornerstones for touches. The 22-year-old will have plenty of chances to reach his ceiling when he finally sets foot on the court in a Bulls jersey.

The shine on Kris Dunn has dulled since he was drafted fifth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, but the young guard – who drew significant trade interest on draft night a year ago – still has tantalizing potential. Although we saw first hand that Dunn may not be ready to guide a team as its starting point guard just yet, his development will be among his new organization’s chief priorities in 2017/18.

There’s no consensus on what to expect out of Lauri Markkanen in his rookie season, but the forward out of Arizona could step into a significant role out of the gates. Markkanen lands in a unique situation this year with room to develop, though he’ll have to share the spotlight with several promising young teammates.

The Bulls managed to lure journeyman Justin Holiday back to the organization and the 28-year-old wasted no time stepping up as a leader of the youthful roster. Holiday’s career mark of 5.7 points per game leaves much to be desired, but the new-look Bulls core will benefit from his presence in the locker room.

Outlook for 2017/18:

While Chicago’s return in the Butler deal was widely panned, it stacks up well to the packages included in the offseason’s other blockbuster trades. Even if the Bulls didn’t net any sure-fire studs, the fact that they landed three potentially substantial building blocks in a summer when Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony were traded for pennies on the dollar should be celebrated.

Things will get a lot uglier before they get better in Chicago, something made abundantly clear when Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic threw down in a practice prior to the team’s season opener. But at least the front office, for better or worse, finally committed to a rebuild.

Don’t expect many wins out of the team in 2017/18, but rather a genuine commitment to developing their young core. If the front office shows any signs of mishandling that process, then don’t rule out another Fire GarPax billboard before the season’s out.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Front Office Sold Jordan Bell Pick To Build Equity With Ownership; Fight Fallout

October 19th, 2017 at 4:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bulls have gotten flak for, among other things, selling second-round pick Jordan Bell to the Warriors. Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score tweets that VP of basketball operations John Paxson said that he was “building up equity” with ownership when he sold the No. 38 pick to Golden State for $3.5MM.
The Bulls are looking to regroup after a fight in practice set the team into chaos before the season even began. Sam Smith of the team’s official website offers an inside account of what happened and what comes next.

Bulls Suspend Bobby Portis For Eight Games

October 18th, 2017 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have suspended power forward Bobby Portis for eight games for punching and injuring teammate Nikola Mirotic, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Portis, who will be allowed to practice during his suspension, per Johnson (Twitter link), will be eligible to return on November 7 in Toronto.

As we detailed on Tuesday and earlier today, Poris and Mirotic were involved in an incident during scrimmage that saw Portis punch his teammate, ultimately hospitalizing him. Mirotic suffered a concussion and fractured two facial bones, and is expected to be sidelined for at least a month or so. Bulls executive John Paxson said today that it will be four to six weeks before Mirotic gets back on the court (Twitter link via Johnson).

Although Mirotic was on the receiving end of the blow that ended the altercation, reports out of Chicago have suggested that both players were going back and forth at one another, exchanging words and shoves as tensions escalated during a scrimmage. The fact that Portis’ suspension is only for eight games and will allow him to practice suggests that the Bulls may agree that both players were partially to blame.

Paxson said today that both players owned responsibility, adding that he wouldn’t call Portis’ blow a “sucker punch.” However, Paxson did acknowledge that Portis crossed a line, calling his punch “inexcusable” (Twitter links via Johnson).

With Portis and Mirotic both sidelined for the near future, the Bulls may have to rely on first-round pick Lauri Markkanen more than expected in the early going. Cristiano Felicio also figures to see an increased role for the next couple weeks, though the Bulls may play smaller lineups in general, given their lack of frontcourt depth. Of course, with Kris Dunn, Cameron Payne, and Zach LaVine also on the shelf with various injuries, the Bulls aren’t particularly deep in the backcourt right now either.

Chicago may have an opportunity to add an extra player to their roster next week, but the team isn’t eligible for that extra spot right away. Portis can be transferred to the suspended list after the third game of his ban, opening up a spot, while the Bulls can apply for a hardship exception if they have four players miss at least three games due to injuries.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.