Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwyane Wade Plans To Return On Saturday

April 5th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45pm: Wade intends to make his return to the court on Saturday for the Bulls’ game against the Nets, reports Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link).

3:47pm: Dwyane Wade‘s recovery from a fractured right elbow continues to progress ahead of schedule, and there appears to be some optimism that the veteran guard could return to the Bulls before the end of the regular season, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets, the plan is to see how Wade’s elbow responds after he scrimmaged with the Bulls today. Then, Wade will practice in New York on Friday and the team will evaluate him after that time and make a determination on whether he can play before the regular season ends.

When Wade originally went down last month with his elbow injury, the Bulls announced that he’d miss the rest of the regular season. However, we heard last week that he had been working out in the hopes of returning for the playoffs, and now it seems he might get back onto the court even sooner than that.

“He says that he feels good,” teammate Jimmy Butler said of Wade. “Which he’s supposed to say because he wants to come back and play. I don’t want him to hurry back and re-injure it or make it worse, but I want him out there on the floor, so it’s kind of a ‘I want you back, but I don’t want you to jeopardize anything.'”

It will be an interesting summer for Wade, who will have to make a decision on his player option for 2017/18 and could land with a new team if he turns it down. If there’s a risk of re-injuring his elbow by returning too early, that’s something he’ll have to consider, but he’s presumably eager to help the Bulls make a push for a playoff spot.

Currently, Chicago sits at 38-40, putting the team in a tie for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are also 38-40, while the Heat (37-40) and Hornets (36-42) remain in the postseason hunt.

Wade Could Be Back In Regular Season

April 4th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Previously reported to be working out in hopes of, at best, returning for the postseason, a comeback before the end of the regular season now appears to be on the table for Dwyane Wade. Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago recently wrote about how the Bulls are optimistic about the veteran’s progress.

“It’s a day by day thing with Dwyane now,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He’s feeling better but obviously there’s a lot of work to do as far as getting his strength back.”

Fresh off of a four-game win streak, the Bulls now have a tenuous grasp on the Eastern Conference’s seven seed. With a distinct shot at competing in an unpredictable conference, the club would welcome the opportunity to get their offseason addition back into a routine prior to any official postseason action.

2017 Basketball Hall Of Fame Class Announced

April 1st, 2017 at 12:44pm CST by Milo Taibi

The 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame class was announced this afternoon on ESPN2 (link). Tracy McGrady, Rebecca Lobo, Bill Self, Muffet McGraw, Robert Hughes, Jerry Krause, George McGinnis, Tom Jernstedt, Nikos Galis, Zack Clayton and Mannie Jackson all made the cut as inductees.

A seven-time All-Star whose career spanned 17 seasons, McGrady received the HoF nod in his first year on the ballot. T-Mac, who battled injuries throughout his career, announced his retirement following the 2012/13 season, in which he made six postseason appearances with the Spurs.

Dikembe Mutombo, a Hall-of-Famer and former teammate of McGrady’s, was overjoyed to see Tracy’s selection.

“To have two of my friends, Tracy and Yao [Ming], who competed with me for the Houston Rockets, one of the great organizations, to see them in the Hall of Fame, that means a lot,” Mutombo told Mark Berman of Fox 26. “It’s something I can sit down with my kids and tell them I was not the only Hall of Famer out there with the Houston Rockets. I was lucky and fortunate to play with the other two.”

A pioneer of the WNBA, Lobo had been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Following a successful career with the UConn Huskies, Lobo played for the New York Liberty in the WNBA’s inaugural season. Lobo would play in parts of six WNBA seasons, playing for the Houston Comets and Connecticut Sun following her time in New York.

Krause, the former Bulls’ GM, was inducted posthumously, as the former executive passed away on March 21. Serving as the Bulls’ GM for over 18 seasons, Krause is credited as the architect of Chicago’s roster during Michael Jordan’s tenure.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

March 30th, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls reportedly explored potential trade options involving Jimmy Butler last summer and again at this year’s deadline. With the team currently out of a playoff spot and embracing at least a partial rebuild, Butler figures to be available in trade talks again this offseason. However, it remains to be seen just how proactive the Bulls will be in seeking a deal.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, one front office source told him recently that Butler is “as good as gone,” suggesting the star swingman is unlikely to start the 2017/18 season in Chicago. However, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune paints a more nuanced picture of the Bulls’ stance.

Johnson, who appeared on Tim Bontemps’ Posting Up podcast, said there’s more of a consensus within the Bulls’ front office for a full rebuild than there was at this time a year ago (link via HoopsHype). Nonetheless, the club would still only go in that direction if it got “the right offer” for Butler. Chicago won’t go out of its way to trade the 27-year-old simply to kick-start a full-scale rebuild.

Meanwhile, Johnson also pointed out that what happens with Butler figures to have a major impact on Dwyane Wade‘s future (link via HoopsHype). If the Bulls decide to move their three-time All-Star, they’ll likely do so around the draft, before Wade’s player option decision is due. In that scenario, Wade would be extremely unlikely to opt in and stick around for a year of rebuilding.

Butler’s situation in Chicago will be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch in the NBA this offseason, particularly if the Bulls miss the playoffs or are eliminated quickly in the first round.

Wade Working Out In Hopes Of Playoff Return

March 29th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade is making an effort to be ready if the Bulls reach the postseason, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

Wade, who has a small fracture in his right elbow, has been shooting and participating in non-contact drills, coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters today. However, he cautioned that it’s too early to tell if Wade might receive medical clearance.

“He got a really good sweat in [today],” Hoiberg said. “Just continue to try to increase his workload and hopefully he responds well. He just has a little bit of soreness and stiffness after [shooting], but they want him out there testing it. It’s a work in progress.

“He’s a true pro. He’s working every day. He’s in the weight room, he’s on the treadmill, he’s doing everything that he possibly can. And again, he’s upping his activity on the basketball court. That’s a good sign.”

It has been two weeks since Wade suffered the injury, which will sideline him for the rest of the regular season. The team has gone 3-3 without him and remains in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, just one game behind eighth-place Miami coming into tonight.

Wade’s teammates are confident the 35-year-old can be ready if they secure a postseason spot.

“We truly believe that,” Nikola Mirotic said. “We see him every morning working, stretching, doing his treatments, sweating. You can see that he really wants to get back, too. It’s important.”

Rondo, Mirotic Playing Some Of Their Best Ball Of Season

March 29th, 2017 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

There were times this season when Rajon Rondo and Nikola Mirotic found themselves on the outs in the Bulls‘ rotation, but they’re playing some of their best ball of the season as of late, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Rondo has a partially guaranteed salary for 2017/18, while Mirotic will be a restricted free agent, so both players are increasing their value at the right time.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/29/17

March 29th, 2017 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Point guard Cameron Payne is back with the Bulls, having been recalled from the D-League following Windy City’s win on Tuesday, the club announced today in a press release. Payne was instrumental in last night’s win, scoring a team-high 20 points to go along with nine assists, five rebounds, and five steals.
The Rockets have sent Troy Williams and Isaiah Taylor to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who notes (via Twitter) that rookie big man Chinanu Onuaku will stay on the NBA roster to start the team’s road trip.
The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo and Pascal Siakam from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). Neither the Raptors nor the Raptors 905 are in action until Thursday, so we’ll see if the duo sticks with the NBA club for that game.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/28/17

March 28th, 2017 at 10:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Check out Tuesday’s D-League assignment and recalls from around the league:

The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet to the Raptors 905, per the team’s Twitter feed. Toronto has since recalled Van Fleet (Twitter feed).
The Knicks have assigned Maurice Ndour, Marshall Plumlee and Chasson Randle to the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Each of the three players saw one minute of NBA action on Monday in New York’s win over Detroit.
The Bulls have assigned Cameron Payne to the Windy City Bulls, according to a team press release. Payne, who was sent to Chicago in the Taj Gibson deal, has seen 140 minutes with the NBA club since arriving in town.

Bulls Notes: Rondo, MCW, Mirotic

March 27th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rajon Rondo‘s first season with the Bulls didn’t get off to a great start. The point guard clashed with coach Fred Hoiberg and the team benched him for five games as a result.

“I tried to stay away from milking what was going on. I didn’t want anybody to feel sorry for me,” Rondo said (via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune). “It didn’t break me down. I didn’t need sympathy calls. People did call and care and send texts. But if you know me, it’s going to be hard to break me.”

Rondo has since re-joined the rotation and he’s been starting over the last eight games. The point guard said he and Hoiberg talk more now than they did earlier in the season. “He’s telling me a lot of positive things. Fred’s a great guy,” Rondo said. “We didn’t talk much when I wasn’t playing. But I was still studying him as a coach. I was watching his moves, when he called timeout, his substitution patterns. I wanted to continue to stay positive and learn a different aspect of the game versus sitting there feeling sorry for myself.”

Here’s more from Chicago:

Rondo’s salary for the 2017/18 campaign, which is worth slightly under $13.4MM, will become guaranteed if he remains on the roster on July 1. Only $3MM of that amount is guaranteed should the Bulls decide to waive him before that date. Rondo isn’t paying attention to the financial situation, but instead, he’s focusing on getting the Bulls to the postseason, as Johnson relays in the same piece. “I can’t worry about next season,” Rondo said. “I just want to do what I can for this team this season, lead the young guys and make a push.”
Michael Carter-Williams, who will be a free agent this offseason, wants to remain with the Bulls, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). Woelfel adds that MCW hasn’t ruled out returning to the Bucks.
Nikola Mirotic will be a restricted free agent this summer and it’s not out of the question that he re-signs with the Bulls, Johnson writes in a separate piece. Earlier in the month, Mirotic found himself out of the rotation, but he’s played well since earning more minutes.

Central Notes: Bucks, Pacers, Lopez, James

March 25th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Bucks are going to be without John Henson for the next few games, as Chris Haynes of ESPN reported Henson would be sidelined for a week with a left thumb sprain (article link). According to Haynes, Henson sustained the injury at some point during Milwaukee’s match-up against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

While Milwaukee will be short-handed for at least the next two games, Michael Beasley appears close to returning. Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Beasley could come back by next week, if not by the end of the season (Twitter link). Beasley has been out since February 27 with a hyperextended left knee.

Other goings-on around the Central…

Robin Lopez knew he was going to receive a suspension when he threw a punch at Serge Ibaka, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago writes. Fortunately for the Bulls, Lopez received a light one-game suspension following a “pretty straight-forward” deliberation process from the league. “I mean, that’s what the league gave. I’m going to stick with it,” Lopez said, adding, “I didn’t change my story.” In his return from the suspension, Lopez went 0-for-6 from the field over 18 minutes.
The Pacers snapped their bizarre streak of 15 games alternating wins and defeats last night, taking a 125-117 loss to the Nuggets. Several players and coach Nate McMillan voiced frustration following the game, sensing a lack of urgency. “We’ve got to play like our life is on the line like it is,” Jeff Teague told Nate Taylor of Indy Star. “We’ve got to be aggressive and leave it all out there. Every game from now on is a must win for us. We’ve got to play like it. This was a bad loss at home and we didn’t come out to play. We just didn’t have the effort.” Despite falling to .500, the Pacers maintained their spot as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed.
LeBron James suffered a corneal abrasion of his right eye during Friday’s match-up with Charlotte, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports (article link). James, who is questionable to play tonight against the Wizards, told reporters his vision was blurry following the injury. “Just took a hard foul — a hard fall, I’m sorry. And I just got up and made my free throws, I think I made them,” said James. “I was just trying to put pressure on the rim, so, if coach decides to give me a game off, it’s not because I’m resting. It’s because I’m banged up.”