Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Notes: Felicio, Gasol, Forman, Hoiberg

April 10th, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

The recent performance of Cristiano Felicio offers more proof that the Bulls should have traded Pau Gasol before February’s deadline, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. The Brazilian rookie center had 16 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes in Saturday’s win over Cleveland, and coach Fred Hoiberg chose to use Felicio over Gasol late in the game. Friedell gives executives Gar Forman and John Paxson credit for finding Felicio, but contends it was foolish to keep Gasol as part of the future when he will turn 36 this summer and can become a free agent. Gasol has already expressed an intention to opt out, which means the Bulls may get nothing in return when they could have picked up assets and created playing time for Felicio and rookie Bobby Portis.

There’s more news out of Chicago:

Forman worked hard to land Felicio, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. The Bulls GM had been watching him for several years as he moved to the United States and made a failed attempt to become eligible to play at Oregon. After Felicio returned to Brazil, Forman traveled there to scout him in several tournaments and signed him to the Bulls’ summer league team.
There’s plenty of blame to go around for a failed season, contends K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago is almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007/08, and Johnson says the responsibility goes from the front office to the coaching staff to a mismatched roster. Forman has carried the most influence behind the scenes, according to Johnson, as he was the leading proponent of hiring Hoiberg and of passing on a chance to deal Gasol to the Kings. Johnson notes that the front office is now less enamored with Gasol, as re-signing center Joakim Noah has become a higher offseason priority. Forman also angered the locker room by trading popular veteran point guard Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta to cut the Bulls’ luxury tax payment by more than $2.5MM.
Despite complaints about Hoiberg, the coaching staff is expected to remain mostly intact for next season, Johnson writes in the same story. Management believes the problem this year was that the core of the team was kept together too long. One possible change is assistant Randy Brown could return to a front-office position. Brown is liked by players, Johnson relays, and some view him as Forman’s direct link to the coaching staff.

Bulls Notes: Hoiberg, Butler, Gasol

April 9th, 2016 at 8:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Coach Fred Hoiberg believes the perception that he didn’t coach the Bulls hard enough began after Jimmy Butler‘s comments in late December, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Hoiberg then clarified his statement, downplaying the assumption that his remark was meant to be a shot at Butler, as Johnson passes along. (Twitter link). Butler was critical of Hoiberg’s laid-back demeanor following an early season loss to the Knicks. The Bulls are reportedly considering the idea of trading Butler this offseason, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical. However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears that Butler is the last guy the team wants to trade.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The playoff hopes for the Bulls are all but gone and Pau Gasol believes this year didn’t go as planned because the team played much of this season without a “sense of urgency,” writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Gasol added that the team also lacked awareness and maturity.
Hoiberg believes his relationship with his players is solid and he is going to emphasize nurturing those relationships over the summer, Friedell passes along in the same piece.
When asked if he would change his coaching style, Hoiberg said he would at least evaluate it this summer, Johnson relays in a separate tweet. The Bulls have Hoiberg under contract through the 2019/20 campaign.

Bulls Favor Re-Signing Noah Over Gasol?

April 9th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have apparently cooled somewhat on their desire to re-sign Pau Gasol and now may be favoring an attempt to ink center Joakim Noah to a short-term deal instead, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. Chicago had resisted trade overtures for Gasol prior to the February trade deadline and GM Gar Forman referred to him as part of the team’s core, adding that the Bulls were the clear favorites to re-sign the big man this summer.

Gasol, who is planning to opt out of his deal for 2016/17, said in February that how the team played down the stretch would influence his decision. With Chicago going just 12-15 since the veteran made that proclamation, it would appear that Gasol is now considering alternative options to Chicago, Johnson notes. “Nothing is set right now. I will evaluate what I need to when the time comes,” Gasol said Thursday night. “The way the team has responded to adversity and finished up the season has been disappointing.” The 35-year-old has had a strong campaign for the franchise, averaging 16.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks in 71 appearances.

The Tribune scribe notes that while the Bulls have yet to formalize their offseason plans, there is a strong bond between the front office and Noah, who has long been the emotional leader of the team. However, there is no guarantee that Noah will return to the Windy City, as he has had some issues with coach Fred Hoiberg this season. Johnson points to the apparent disconnect between Hoiberg and Noah regarding the center’s shift to a reserve role, with Noah disputing Hoiberg’s assertion that he had volunteered to do so. “I never said I want to come off the bench,” Noah said shortly after the start of the season. “I said I’ll do what’s best for the team.”

Noah has been linked to the Magic as a potential free agent target, though only speculatively at this point. The 31-year-old had surgery on his separated left shoulder on January 19th, with a projected recovery time of four to six months, and he’s only appeared in 29 games this season, notching averages of 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 21.9 minutes per contest. The Bulls already have $65,766,154 in guaranteed salary committed for 2015/16, and that will limit how much the team is willing and able to commit to Noah, whose injury history may make the notion of him inking a short-term deal a fallback option at best, though that is merely my speculation.

Which player would the Bulls be better served to re-sign for next season? Sound off with your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

Bulls Notes: Gasol, Butler, Rose

April 8th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Chuck Myron

It would be a surprise if Pau Gasol is on the Bulls next season, posits K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), and the latest remarks from the All-Star big man seem to back that up. Gasol said after the trade deadline that the way the team played in the season’s final two months would affect his decision about whether to re-sign this summer after he opts out to hit free agency, and he conceded after Thursday’s loss that the Bulls have staggered to the finish, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com relays. The Bulls, for their part, aren’t as intent on re-signing Gasol as they were in February, Johnson wrote last week.

“Nothing is set right now,” Gasol said. “Definitely, I will evaluate what I need to when the time comes. But the way the team has responded to adversity and the way we finished up the season has not been so far great, and it’s been disappointing. So at the end of the day, when the time comes, I will evaluate things. It’s hard to finish the season like this. It’s not finished, but we’re in a very, as we know, extremely difficult position, so everything will be thought of and considered.”

See more from Chicago:

Jimmy Butler is the last guy the Bulls want to trade, if they make a trade at all this summer, according to the prevailing thought from inside the team, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Chris Mannix of The Vertical earlier heard that the Bulls appeared to be considering the idea of trading Butler.
The Bulls will probably look to draft a point guard this summer after changing their plan to do so last year when Bobby Portis fell to them at the No. 22 pick, Johnson writes. Still, coach Fred Hoiberg doesn’t think Butler is better off when incumbent point guard Derrick Rose isn’t on the floor, as Johnson relays. “We’ve gone with Derrick to finish off some games and obviously Jimmy to close out a lot,” Hoiberg said. “When they have played together, it’s basically whoever has the better matchup or whoever has it going. We’re obviously a better team when Derrick is out there.”
Butler hasn’t shown the leadership befitting the five-year, $92.34MM contract he signed last year, but it makes more sense on a practical level to trade Rose than it does to trade Butler, the Tribune’s David Haugh opines.

Bulls Name Horace Grant As Special Advisor

April 6th, 2016 at 8:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have officially announced that Horace Grant has been named special advisor to team president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf. “Horace is an incredible ambassador for the game of basketball. His ability to engage an audience, whether he is in a boardroom or a community center, will be invaluable to me and everyone at the Bulls as we continuously look for ways to grow our relationships with fans, corporate partners, and civic groups,” said Reinsdorf. “Every time we are together, he always has fantastic stories about his days with the Bulls, but he is also eager to share about his life today with his family and his travels with the NBA. Horace will bring a terrific energy to his role at the Bulls.”

Hoiberg Insists He's Reaching Players

April 5th, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks increasingly sense that Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton won’t leave Golden State for a head coaching job this summer, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Knicks team president Phil Jackson is in contact with Bulls executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson, who used to play for the Zen Master, and Jackson isn’t impressed with Tom Thibodeau, who worked for Paxson as Bulls coach, Berman writes. The Post scribe also implies Jackson isn’t about to go out of his way to hire former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, leaving few options other than interim coach Kurt Rambis, whom Berman hears is closer with Jackson than just about any coach is with his boss and allows Jackson the level of input he’s longed for. However, Knicks players don’t respect Rambis as much as they did former coach Derek Fisher, sources indicated to Berman.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has drawn criticism for his inability to reach players, but, perhaps buoyed by Taj Gibson‘s support, Hoiberg insists the locker room is united, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “You have to have that continuity in the locker room, that unity,” Hoiberg said. “You have to look like you’re getting your message across. And I think we’ve done that with the guys. I can just base it on how our film sessions are going and how when they’re on the [practice] floor, they’re locked in. I feel like we have good chemistry with our staff and players.”

Jimmy Butler Could See More Action At Point

April 2nd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler is playing some point guard with Derrick Rose battling injuries and E’Twaun Moore on a minutes restriction, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Butler was thrust into that role against the Rockets on Thursday when Rose left the game with an elbow injury and will continue to receive minutes at that spot if Rose has to miss games, Johnson adds. “Jimmy was terrific with the ball, made a lot of great plays to get guys baskets and also a lot of hockey assists, where he just would pass the ball, get it moving, then we would make the extra one [for] an open look,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told Johnson and the assembled media.

Hoiberg's Job Appears Safe; Gibson Defends Coach

April 1st, 2016 at 7:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has job security despite the team’s disappointing season, claims Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. In a video response to readers’ questions, Wojnarowski says GM Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson “could not wait” to hire Hoiberg away from Iowa State last summer, claiming the front office and the coach knew the move was coming months before it was made. Hoiberg still has four years and $20MM left on his contract, and the Bulls are unlikely to absorb that much salary, especially after firing former coach Tom Thibodeau with $9MM left on his deal. Wojnarowski believes Forman and Paxson have no choice but to build a roster that fits with Hoiberg’s style, as their future is now tied to his success or failure.

Hoiberg has a strong defender in Bulls power forward Taj Gibson, who says the coach’s critics need to “shut up,” relays K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. “Everybody tries to discredit this man, and it’s rough,” Gibson said. “He’s a rookie coach taking on a veteran group. Give him some slack, man. It’s hard enough as it is to come in. You have the whole city of Chicago on your back. It’s tough. But I think he’s learning, doing a good job, staying with us. And I’m riding with him no matter what.”

Bulls Losing Interest In Re-Signing Pau Gasol; Team Sets High Price For Butler Trade

April 1st, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls aren’t as intent on re-signing Pau Gasol, who plans to opt out and hit free agency this summer, as they were after the trade deadline in February, when GM Gar Forman referred to him as part of the core, sources tell K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Gasol is open-minded about hearing from other teams, Johnson adds, though it’s unclear if that’s a change from earlier, when Johnson identified the Bulls as the front-runners to re-sign him. Gasol said in February that how the team played down the stretch would influence his decision. Chicago has gone 11-12 since the All-Star break.

Bulls brass is reportedly thinking about trading Jimmy Butler, but teams would have to make overwhelming offers to get Chicago to bite, Johnson writes in the same piece. Some in the organization nonetheless believe Butler’s personality has changed over the last year, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Coach Fred Hoiberg denied Thursday that any idea about trading Butler would come from tension between them, Johnson notes, and for what it’s worth, Butler made it clear he wants to remain with the Bulls, as Friedell relays. “Jimmy and I have a very good relationship,” Hoiberg said. “Obviously I have a lot of trust in Jimmy, putting the ball in his hands late in games. I communicate with Jimmy as much as anyone on this team. I obviously think the world of him for how hard he pushes himself and how much he just has improved over the years with his work ethic. That rubs off on the other guys.”

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/31/16

March 31st, 2016 at 11:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

A year after giving Jimmy Butler one of the richest contracts in franchise history, the Bulls are reportedly thinking about putting the All-Star shooting guard on the trading block. Back in July, Butler turned down a host of other suitors and signed a five-year, $92.34MM deal to stay in Chicago.

It was supposed to mark the continuation of a dream backcourt alongside point guard Derrick Rose, but the injury-plagued Bulls have struggled to gain traction in the Eastern Conference and are in danger of missing the playoffs as the regular season enters its final two weeks. Moreover, rumblings have emerged about a power struggle behind the scenes involving Butler and Rose.

When Butler made comments in December suggesting that new coach Fred Hoiberg was too “laid back” to be successful, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com saw it as an effort to step out of Rose’s shadow and claim leadership of the team. Friedell also indicated that Butler was speaking for several players in the Bulls’ locker room, but it wasn’t clear if Rose was among them. Rumors of a rift between the star guards had been simmering since Butler signed his new contract, and a Chicago Sun-Times report in October indicated through an unidentified source that Butler doesn’t respect Rose’s work ethic.

There’s little doubt that changes are coming in Chicago this summer, whether or not the Bulls can squeak into the playoffs. Pau Gasol has already said it’s likely that he will opt out of his contract. Joakim Noah, who has been sidelined since mid-January with a separated shoulder, is also headed toward free agency and may be leaving town.

But the most important decision for GM Gar Forman may be whether to bring an end to the Butler-Rose pairing. Butler still has four years and $72.475MM left on the deal he signed last summer, although the final season is a player option, while Rose is under contract for one more year at $21,323,250.

That brings us to the topic for this evening: If the Bulls decide to break up their backcourt, should they trade away Butler or Rose? Butler is 26 and has become the team’s most reliable scorer, putting up his second straight season with a scoring average above 20 points per game. Rose is 27 and appears to be leaving behind the effects of the ACL injury that cost him the entire 2012/13 season. Tonight’s game is his 63rd of the season, which is the most he has played since 2010/11, although his scoring and assist numbers are well below what they were five years ago.

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.