Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Serge Ibaka, Robin Lopez Get One-Game Suspensions

March 22nd, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has suspended Raptors forward Serge Ibaka and Bulls center Robin Lopez one game apiece for their roles in Tuesday night’s on-court incident in Toronto, per a press release. Lopez will miss Chicago’s game tonight against the Pistons, while Ibaka will sit out the Raptors’ game on Thursday night in Miami.

During the third quarter of Tuesday night’s game between the Raptors and Bulls, Lopez and Ibaka got into an altercation that escalated into a near-fistfight. Both players threw punches, though Lopez missed hitting Ibaka, and Ibaka’s blow just grazed Lopez.

Although the fight could have been worse, it’s still a bit of a surprise that both players received just one-game bans. There was speculation that Ibaka could get a two- or three-game suspension and that Lopez could get an extra game on top of taht for throwing the first punch. Instead, both players received relatively light punishments, though they’ll lose a game’s worth of pay as they serve their respective suspensions.

Raptors assistant Jamaal Magloire was also penalized as a result of the altercation, having been fined $15K for pushing Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic, the league announced.

Bulls Rumors: Mirotic, Butler, Wade

March 22nd, 2017 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Don’t expect the Bulls to make much of an effort to re-sign Nikola Mirotic in free agency this summer, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes in his latest mailbag. As Johnson observes, the Bulls can afford to be flexible with their approach to Mirotic, since he’s a restricted free agent — he may sign an offer sheet that they determine fits into their salary structure, in which case they could bring him back. However, Johnson doesn’t think Chicago will “proactively” try to lock up Mirotic to a new deal.

Within that same mailbag, Johnson also suggests that there’s a decent chance Chicago will listen to inquires on Jimmy Butler again this summer. Having acquired Cameron Payne and Joffrey Lauvergne at last month’s trade deadline, the Bulls want to continue accumulating “players they view as young assets,” and any package for Butler would likely include a few of those pieces.

Here’s more on the Bulls and a couple of their Central Division rivals:

Dwyane Wade is a future Hall-of-Famer, but he’s entering the “awkward years” of his career and it’s not clear what’s in store for him in 2017/18 and beyond, says Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Aschburner explores the potential next step for Wade, whether that means staying with the Bulls, returning to the Heat, or joining a new team this summer.

Former Bulls GM Jerry Krause Passes Away

March 21st, 2017 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, the architect of Chicago’s roster during Michael Jordan‘s tenure with the franchise, passed away this afternoon, a member of his family informed K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Krause was 77 years old.

Krause, who took over as the Bulls’ GM in 1985, held that position for the next 18 years, winning six championships with the club during the 1990s. Krause, who worked in baseball before his time in the NBA, returned to Major League Baseball following his departure from the Bulls, working as a team scout for a handful of MLB teams.

As Johnson notes (via Twitter), Krause is currently a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame in the contributor category. If Krause is inducted into the Hall of Fame, it will happen posthumously.

We send our condolences and best wishes to Krause’s family and friends.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/20/17

March 20th, 2017 at 4:01pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions from Monday:

The Bulls have assigned guard Cameron Payne to their D-League affiliate, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Payne has missed time this month with a sore foot, the same one that he had surgery on earlier in the season, and will look to ease into play with the Windy City Bulls. (Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times has more on the decision)
The Pistons have assigned rookie Henry Ellenson to their D-League affiliate, Keith Langlois of the team’s official website writes.
The Grizzlies have assigned big man Deyonta Davis to the Iowa Energy, the team reports in a press release on its website. Davis has averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in 18 matchups with the Iowa Energy already.
The Warriors have recalled Kevon Looney from their D-League affiliate following his latest stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team reports in a press release on its website.
The Rockets have assigned Troy Williams to the D-League, the team reports in a press release relayed by Fox 26’s Mark Berman.

Valentine, Mirotic Could Benefit From Wade Absence

March 19th, 2017 at 8:23pm CST by Austin Kent

With Dwyane Wade ruled out for the remainder of the Bulls’ regular season, Sam Smith of the team’s official website took a look at what could be in the cards for the franchise. Expect more from Denzel Valentine and Nikola Mirotic, he says, which gives the team a more natural pace and space lineup.

Central Notes: Sanders, Korver, Mirotic, Miles

March 19th, 2017 at 1:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers‘ plans for Larry Sanders remain uncertain after the recently signed big man played his first D-League game Saturday night, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sanders had two points, a rebound and three blocks to go with five fouls for the Canton Charge. Afterward, Canton coach Nate Reinking refused to comment on Sanders’ future, calling the plans “classified.” The Cavaliers sent Sanders to the D-League to get used to playing again while they are on a four-game Western swing. The two minutes he played on Tuesday represented his first NBA action since the 2014/15 season. “Get my legs under me. Hopefully help this team win games and get back into basketball shape,” Sanders said of his goals with Canton. “Just defensive timing off a bit and trying to get into position, but it will come.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The expected return of Cavaliers guard Kyle Korver during the road trip may be delayed, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Korver has missed the past six games with inflammation in his left foot, and he has already been ruled out for tonight’s contest with the Lakers. “There’s still something in there,” Korver said. “It’s getting better but it hasn’t come along like I’d hoped. I should’ve stopped playing on it a week and a half earlier. Now that I’m out, we might as well let it come all the way back, but it just hasn’t yet.”
Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is focused on a playoff push rather than his impending free agency, relays K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Mirotic, who has gone from inactive to the starting lineup in less than a week, knows that Chicago tried to trade him before last month’s deadline and that his time in the city may be over once the season ends. “There have been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of things I never lived in my life,” he said. “Who could see that? It’s crazy. But I know that I’ve been playing much better the last couple games.”
Veteran swingman C.J. Miles could parlay his newfound starting role with the Pacers into a healthy raise this summer, writes Jordan J. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star. Miles has started every game since the All-Star break and is the team’s best 3-point shooter. After the season, he will have to decide whether to opt out of a nearly $4.8MM salary for next year.

Heat Notes: Free Agents, Waiters, Wade, T. Johnson

March 19th, 2017 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The surprising Heat may be able to keep this year’s team together and still have cap room to be players on the free agent market, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. With team president Pat Riley saying at the All-Star break that he would use the rest of the season to evaluate which players will be kept, Jackson assesses the situation for several impending free agents:

James Johnson should get at least $10MM annually after his best NBA season, and possibly a contract similar to Evan Turner‘s at $70MM over four years. Johnson loves the team and the city, and the organization wants to bring him back.
Dion Waiters is also enjoying a breakthrough season and wants to sign a long-term deal with the Heat. But if Dwyane Wade stays in Chicago, there will be little competition at the shooting guard position in free agency and Waiters could get an offer of $14MM per year or more.
Wayne Ellington‘s $6.3MM deal for next season doesn’t need to be guaranteed until July 7th, the first day after the moratorium is lifted. The Heat will know where they stand with free agents before making that decision.
Willie Reed can opt out of hiss $1.5MM deal, and Miami may need to use part or all of its $4.3MM room exception to keep him.
The Heat have Bird rights on Luke Babbitt, so if he re-signs he will only count $1.47MM against the cap regardless of his salary.

If Chris Bosh is cleared off the cap as expected, Miami will have about $41MM in available space, with three small cap holds. If the Heat elect to keep Ellington and Babbitt, while using the room exception for Reed, that figure will be closer to $33MM. Jackson expects Riley to use that money to chase top-level free agents before committing to any of his current players.

There’s more today out of Miami:

The Heat aren’t sure when Waiters will return from a sprained ankle he suffered Friday, Jackson writes in a separate story. Waiters was on crutches after the game and has been ruled out for today’s contest with Portland. Coach Erik Spoelstra said it’s too early to talk about when Waiters might play again. “He’s young. He heals fast,” Spoelstra said. “He healed very fast from the last one and he rolled that one all the way over. There’s no way to really tell until we get through this process. We’ll see how he feels after this weekend.”
Wade is turning aside questions about free agency, but Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel envisions a scenario where the veteran guard could return to Miami next season. If Wade opts out of his $23.8MM deal, Miami could create additional cap room by trading Tyler Johnson, possibly to the Nets, who made the four-year, $50MM offer that the Heat elected to match.

Will Dwyane Wade Decline His $23.8MM Player Option?

March 17th, 2017 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

In free agency last summer, Wade reportedly received multiple offers in the same range as the Bulls’ $47MM proposal. The Heat’s two-year offer was believed to be worth a little less, while the Nuggets’ offer was said to be worth a little more.

It’s also worth noting that Wade’s year in Chicago hasn’t exactly represented the storybook homecoming he might have hoped for. The Bulls’ season has been marred with dysfunction, rotation confusion, and a late-season slide that will likely keep the club out of the playoffs. Even if Wade isn’t confident in his ability to land more money in free agency, perhaps he’ll want to decline his option just to have the opportunity to choose a new team.

After earning All-Star nods in each of his two seasons with the Bulls, Pau Gasol has had to adjust to a reduced role this season in San Antonio. Gasol’s 25.7 minutes per contest this season is easily a career low, but he has been about as effective as you’d expect when he does play — his .504 FG% is his best since 2011/12.

Wade's Departure Would Free Cap Space

March 16th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls can hit the reset button if Dwyane Wade opts out of his contract, ESPN.com’s NBA analyst Kevin Pelton opines. The club could have significant cap space this summer if Wade, now out for the remainder of the regular season with a fractured elbow, turns down his $23.8MM player option and becomes a free agent again. That cap space could grow to approximately $50MM if the Bulls waive Rajon Rondo and stretch out his guaranteed money while also renouncing the rights to their other free agents, Pelton explains. Wade would probably have to settle for much less on the free agent market but opting out would allow him to join a contender such as the Cavaliers or Clippers, Pelton adds. The Spurs or even Warriors could be other possible suitors if Wade goes that route, according to the Sporting News’ Sean Deveney, and the Bucks and Nuggets would also check in on him since they showed interest last summer.

Dwyane Wade Out For Regular Season

March 16th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

12:00pm: Wade said today that if the Bulls make the playoffs and he gets medical clearance, he intends to return for the postseason (Twitter link via Friedell). However, those are both big ifs.

11:50am: After leaving Wednesday’s game with a right elbow injury, Dwyane Wade was diagnosed today with a sprain and a small fracture in that elbow, the Bulls announced (via Twitter). According to the team, Wade will be out for the rest of the regular season.

The Bulls’ announcement explicitly states that Wade will miss the rest of the “regular” season, so it’s not clear if he’d have the opportunity to return in the playoffs if the club were to sneak in. Given how poorly Chicago has played lately even with Wade in the lineup though, that may be a moot point. Having lost six of their last seven games, the Bulls currently have a 32-36 record. That puts them one game back of the Heat and the Pistons, who are tied for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Wade, who inked a two-year, $47MM contract last summer, has averaged 18.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.9 APG in his first year with the Bulls, shooting a career-worst 43.4% from the floor. If the veteran guard doesn’t suit up again for Chicago this season, it’s possible he has played his last game with the team. Wade will have to make a decision this offseason on a $23.8MM player option for 2017/18.

Wade’s health figures to play a part in his decision on that option. According to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), Wade told reporters today that he won’t undergo surgery to repair the break in his elbow. Nick Friedell of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the 35-year-old will be re-evaluated in a week.