Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Blatt, Van Gundy, Bulls

January 22nd, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Cavaliers coach David Blatt isn’t a fan of the idea that Monday’s blowout loss to the Warriors signaled deep-running problems for his team, as Tom Withers of The Associated Press details. Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com suggested that Blatt’s job security depends on the team’s performance in the second half of this season, and other columnists have opined that the Cavs face a crossroads. Blatt said he doesn’t appreciate “far-reaching conclusions,” Withers notes.

“It’s about my team,” he said. “It’s about my guys and I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. My guys are out there fighting for the Cavaliers and doing the best job they can in a tough NBA — very tough — especially because this is a team that night after night has a target on its back. They go out there and they fight and they play and they deal with adversity like we’ve had to deal with all year. We are far from perfect and we are still not at our best, but it’s not for lack of effort.”

See more on the Cavs and other Central Division teams:

SB Nation’s Tom Ziller also suggests the ramifications of the loss aren’t as severe as they’ve otherwise been portrayed, since it isn’t a given that the Warriors will get to the Finals and because the Cavs have little recourse to affect roster changes that would help them better match up with Golden State anyway.
Pistons owner Tom Gores has committed more money and energy into the Pistons than it initially seemed reasonable to expect, and he’s made strong hires, particularly with coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, opines Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. “There’s still gonna be a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t think there’s any doubt we’re on the right path and making progress,” Van Gundy said. “There’s also no doubt there’s still a long, long way to go.”
The Bulls might not be a title favorite, but they’re still close enough to that level that they need not tear down the roster, contends Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding.

Pau Gasol Hires Creative Artists Agency

January 21st, 2016 at 10:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pau Gasol has signed the Creative Artists Agency to represent him, the agency announced via Twitter. The news confirms that the likely soon-to-be free agent has left the Wasserman Media Group and agent Jason Ranne. Gasol and brother Marc Gasol had been looking for new representation following the departure of former Wasserman super agent Arn Tellem. Each of the Gasols was conducting his own search, so they weren’t necessarily a package deal, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, who reported that the pair were in the market for agents. It’s unclear whom Marc will choose.

The months ahead will be key for Pau, who turns 36 in July. He told Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago last month that he’s “very likely” to turn down his player option for next season, which is no surprise, since it’s worth only about $7.7MM. The Bulls big man remains nearly as productive as ever, and hitting free agency this summer will give him the chance to command major money, with the salary cap rising to a projected $89MM and relatively few impact players in the 2016 free agent class. He just narrowly missed a starting nod in this year’s All-Star Game, falling just 360 votes shy of the third and final frontcourt spot.

Chicago also gauged trade interest in Gasol at one point recently, according to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, though that was before Joakim Noah suffered a shoulder injury last week that’s knocked him out for four to six months. Agents don’t have quite as much influence on trades as they do on free agency, but they still have the power to steer their clients to favored destinations, especially when they’re on expiring contracts, as Gasol essentially is.

The Creative Artists Agency boasts a deep stable of clients, from established stars Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade to rookies Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, the top two picks in the 2015 draft. CAA’s Leon Rose jointly represents Kevin Durant along with Roc Nation Sports. It’s not immediately clear which CAA representative will be the primary agent for Gasol. In any case, it’s ostensibly another tie between Gasol and the Knicks, where former Lakers coach Phil Jackson is team president, though New York’s once-cozy relationship with the agency hasn’t appeared quite as strong since Jackson took over.

Gasol has become the latest notable former Wasserman client to leave the agency, which has lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Jabari Parker, Danilo Gallinari and Joe Johnson, among others, since Tellem walked away to take a job in the Pistons organization.

Where do you think Gasol will play next season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

And-Ones: Williams, Love, McLemore

January 21st, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Shooting guard Elliot Williams, whom the Grizzlies didn’t sign to a second 10-day contract after his first expired on Sunday, has declined multiple offers from overseas teams as he awaits another NBA team to come calling, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Williams averaged 1.6 points on 20% shooting in nine minutes per contest across five appearances for Memphis. The Grizzlies instead signed center Ryan Hollins to a 10-day contract today, filling the roster spot Williams had been in.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Bulls are a team in disarray, which is a byproduct of parting ways with former coach Tom Thibodeau, Colin McGowan of RealGM writes. Chicago wanted a coach who was more respectful of the chain of command, and it got that in new coach Fred Hoiberg, but the team has looked sluggish on offense and disinterested in defense far too often this season as a result of the switch, McGowan contends.
Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore‘s playing time has suffered due to the offseason additions of Rajon Rondo and Marco Belinelli, and the third-year player is still trying to adjust to his new role, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “I think I’m still trying to find my flow on this team,” McLemore told Jones. “I know what I need to do. I’m just trying to figure it out. Last year I figured it out pretty fast. Now I need to get over this hump and push from there.”
If the Cavaliers are to maximize their potential this season, power forward Kevin Love will need to fully embrace his role as the team’s third star, Kevin Cottrell Jr. of NBA.com writes. Love has struggled with his touches and role being reduced since arriving in Cleveland, something that Chris Bosh, a former teammate of LeBron James, cautioned could become an issue when the trade for Love was first announced, Cottrell notes.
LSU’s Ben Simmons tops the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider subscription required). The combo forward is followed on Ford’s list by Duke’s Brandon Ingram and Croatian big man Dragan Bender, who round out the top three.

Eastern Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Gortat, Noah

January 20th, 2016 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who engaged in a shouting match with coach/executive Stan Van Gundy after the player was ejected from Monday night’s contest, says their relationship is fine, David Mayo of MLive notes. “We’re good,” Caldwell-Pope said of he and his coach. “We had a talk before we got to Houston, so we’re good. Everything’s squared away. Everything was in the heat of the moment. We talked about it and squared it out.”

For his part, Van Gundy wasn’t concerned about the incident, Mayo adds. “I don’t care about that,” Van Gundy said. “Look, I used to go through that with guys a lot more than this. I’m worried about how they play and what kind of people they are. The guy was really frustrated. If you’re going to say something to a guy, in a situation where he’s already frustrated, any of us would do the same thing. I mean, I shouldn’t have said what I said to him. No, I shouldn’t have, because it wasn’t the time, it wasn’t productive, because I couldn’t keep him in the game. He and I had a good talk yesterday. Look, he’s a great guy, he works his [tail] off, he’s not a hothead or anything like that. He had a bad day in terms of that and he got frustrated, and that’s all it was. He yelled something back at me and that part was actually meaningless. The tough part was him getting thrown out.”

Here’s more from the East:

The Wizards have been hit hard by injuries this season, something that center Marcin Gortat says the players are to blame for, Gene Wang of The Washington Post writes. “It’s not easy,” Gortat said. “We’ve got a lot of vets. We’ve got a lot of older guys. They’ve got to take care of their bodies. At the end of the day it’s the players’ responsibility. I personally can’t understand how this is possible, how people can get constantly hurt. You’ve got to do something. You’ve got to change something in your routine to become a bigger pro, to become a better player and more professional about stuff you do.”
No player better epitomizes Chicago sports than Joakim Noah, whose pending free agency could see him playing elsewhere next season, writes David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune. The Tribune scribe also opines that the Bulls‘ worst-case scenario involving Noah is that he makes a full recovery and joins Tom Thibodeau, who is reportedly on Brooklyn’s radar for its next coach, with the Nets.

Central Rumors: Portis, Love, Jackson

January 19th, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie power forward Bobby Portis will be the biggest beneficiary of Joakim Noah‘s shoulder injury that will likely cost him the season, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed to the media, including Hoops Rumors. Noah will be sidelined up to six months after undergoing surgery for his dislocated left shoulder. Portis will become a rotation regular in his absence. Power forwards Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio will also receive more playing time. “It’s a great opportunity for some other guys,” Hoiberg said. “Bobby, his minutes were a little inconsistent after that stretch where he played when Jo was sitting out [with a previous shoulder sprain]. He knows now he’s going to play extended minutes pretty much every night. And other guys are going to have to step up. Cam and Cris are going to have to be ready to go out there and give us some minutes.” The Bulls are 9-2 in games Noah has missed but Hoiberg brushes aside that statistic. “I don’t think you’ll find one guy in that locker room that would say we’re a better team with Jo not in the lineup,” he said. “He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score. He’s a guy we’ll absolutely miss the rest of the season.”

In other news around the Central Division:

Finding a way for power forward Kevin Love and point guard Kyrie Irving to coexist is paramount for the Cavs to have any hope of winning the NBA title this season, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com opines. Love’s stats have declined since Irving returned from the knee injury that kept him out until late last month. Love was averaging 17.6 points on 43% shooting without Irving this season, compared to 13.4 points on 37% shooting with Irving back in action. Cavs players reportedly wouldn’t mind a trade for Suns power forward Markieff Morris, though the front office doesn’t share their enthusiasm. The Cavs could try to go small more often with Love at center and deal Timofey Mozgov, who has seen his playing time decline dramatically, but making major roster moves could also backfire, Berger adds.
Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson is frustrated by the team’s inability to put together a winning streak, as he told the media, including Hoops Rumors. Detroit handed the Warriors their fourth loss of the season on Saturday, then had a low-energy performance while losing to the Bulls Monday. “We’re a consistently inconsistent team,” Jackson said. “We’ve shown we play well at times. We play to the level of our opponent quite a bit. We’ve shown the world that we have flashes of being a good team and then we show flashes of being not so good.”
Shooting guard Dionte Christmas, who spent training camp with the Cavs this fall, will have his contract with AEK Athens guaranteed for the season, international journalist David Pick tweets. Christmas previously signed a one-month deal with the Greek team, Pick adds. Christmas, who was waived after playing four preseason games with Cleveland, signed with Israel’s Hapoel Holon in December and then was released from that contract to play in Europe.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Stephenson, Hibbert, Crawford

January 19th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers feel as though they’d be better in the long run if they could trade offseason acquisitions Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson, who are dissatisfied with their respective roles on the team, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video dispatch (scroll to three-minute mark) that echoes his report from December. The team apparently gauged their value on the trade market as far back as November, though coach/executive Doc Rivers denied it. In any case, Bucher and Bleacher Report colleague Howard Beck identify the Clippers, Bulls and Lakers as likely sellers, with the Kings and Rockets set to become buyers at the trade deadline. Sacramento has been “active and aggressive,” according to Bucher. See more from the Pacific Division:

Roy Hibbert likes L.A. and has maintained a professional demeanor throughout a losing season, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are reportedly trying to find a trade that would send Hibbert to a playoff team. The center acknowledges that it hasn’t been easy this year after playing on much more successful teams in Indiana. “It’s rough,” Hibbert said. “The skeletons are there to be a really good team. It’s just not going the way we want it to be. You see glimpses but it’s been rough.”
Jamal Crawford cited familiarity and the desire for a “pit bull” negotiator for his recent decision to rehire agent Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, having moved on from a brief time with the Wasserman Media Group, the agency he hired in the offseason. TNT’s David Aldridge has the details in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Clippers sixth man is poised for free agency in the summer.
Draymond Green has far surpassed expectations, and in addition to his own effort, he’s been fortunate to arrive in the NBA just as small-ball truly took off and to land with a Warriors franchise that believes in him, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com examines. “Obviously I’m blessed to be here in a situation with Golden State where what I brought to the team was needed,” Green said. “And appreciated. I know that’s important. Sometimes going to a certain franchise can ruin a career if you’re not with the right team. I was blessed to come to a great situation. A great franchise that appreciated the way that I do. So I’ve been able to become the player I’ve become.”

Joakim Noah Out Four To Six Months

January 19th, 2016 at 1:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

TUESDAY, 1:34pm: Noah underwent surgery this morning and will begin rehab Wednesday, coach Fred Hoiberg said, as Johnson relays (on Twitter).

SATURDAY, 7:25pm: Bulls center Joakim Noah will be out of action for four to six months after suffering a dislocated left shoulder in Friday’s game, the team announced today. He underwent an MRI exam this morning, and it was determined that he will need surgery. Details of the procedure have not been set, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

Noah is making $13.4MM this season in the final year of his contract. Before the injury, Chicago reportedly made him available for trade, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron detailed last month. He is averaging a career-low 4.3 points per game through 29 contests.

Chicago won’t be able to get any cap relief because of the injury, tweets former NBA executive Bobby Marks. The deadline for the disabled player exception expired Friday. The DPE would have only given the Bulls a $5.4MM exception, Marks notes, not an extra roster spot (Twiter link). Chicago already has 15 guaranteed contracts.

Noah suffered a similar injury on the shoulder December 21st and missed nine games. He was in his fourth game back when he re-injured it Friday.

In anticipation of the news on Noah, the Bulls recalled Cristiano Felicio from the D-League this morning, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. He has seen limited action in two games with the Bulls.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/18/16

January 18th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have gotten plenty of advice since Joakim Noah dislocated his shoulder over the weekend. The injury will sideline the popular veteran for four to six months and may signal the end of his career in Chicago.

Noah was headed for free agency this summer anyway, and nearing age 31, he has seen his role on the team diminish. The ninth-year center out of Florida started just two games this year and is averaging 21.9 minutes of playing time, the lowest since his rookie season. As a result, his numbers across the board — 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game — are down dramatically from his best years.

As soon as the news broke about Noah’s condition, columnists started submitting their prescriptions to fix the Bulls. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com advocated a full-scale roster shakeup that included moving Pau Gasol — who can opt out of his contract in July — before next month’s trade deadline. Steve Rosenbloom of The Chicago Tribune agrees, saying the team should also deal away Derrick Rose if possible. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider only) advocated keeping Gasol to give Chicago a shot in this year’s playoffs and predicted more playing time for 6’11” rookie Bobby Portis. Sam Smith of Bulls.com saw the incident as an opportunity for the Bulls to negotiate a short-term deal with Noah while other suitors might be scared away by the injury.

This leads me to today’s question: What would you do if you were running the Bulls instead of Gar Forman and John Paxson?

Would you try to unload as many veterans as possible and rebuild around Jimmy Butler and the younger players? Or would you keep the veteran core in place and make a move to attempt to win this season? And how hard would you try to re-sign Noah when he enters free agency?

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

Aldridge on Lee, Ainge, Agents, Beal, Portis

January 18th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

David Lee seems to have fallen out of the Celtics‘ rotation a year after going through the same experience in Golden State, writes TNT’s David Aldridge in his weekly column for NBA.com. Boston is fully healthy for the first time this season, which has cut deeply into Lee’s playing time as coach Brad Stevens opts for a smaller lineup. “I’ve been through this before, and it turned out OK,” Lee said. The 11th-year forward is making nearly $15.5MM in the final season of his contract and is headed for free agency for the second time in his career.

Aldridge touched on a number of other topics in the piece:

With a little more than a month before the trade deadline, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has to decide whether to deal the team’s excess draft picks to pursue an available star or save the picks and use them to build for the future. Boston owns the Nets‘ unprotected first-rounder this year, along with a Mavs first-rounder that is top-seven protected. The Celtics could potentially get the Wolves‘ first-rounder as well, but it is only top-12 protected, so that’s unlikely. If Minnesota keeps the pick, it will have to give Boston second-rounders this year and in 2017.
Pressure has increased on agents to get not only the best playing contracts for their clients, but TV and movie roles, music opportunities and shoe deals as well. The Wizards‘ John Wall last week became one of a handful of big name players to change agencies recently when he left Relativity Sports, which had represented him since he was drafted in 2010. “The people I was with have been a great partnership the five years I was with them,” Wall said. “They did a lot of positive things for me. It was just a situation where I felt me and my team wanted to go in different ways with how I wanted to build my team.”
Aldridge believes the Wizards still plan to give Bradley Beal a max contract, even though he will probably be under a minutes restriction for the rest of his career. Aldridge contends that Beal can be an All-Star playing 30-35 minutes a night and compares the situation to what the Celtics did when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were in their final years there or how the Spurs handle their veterans.
Aldridge also sees a bright future for Bulls rookie Bobby Portis, saying he can succeed through hard work despite his limited vertical leap.

Central Notes: Pistons, Gores, Noah, Turner

January 18th, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons may be returning to downtown Detroit, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Owner Tom Gores confirmed today that the move is being considered, but everything is still in the preliminary stage. Former sports agent Arn Tellem, whom the Pistons hired in August as vice chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, has been examining the potential of a new downtown facility. “Arn is doing some heavy lifting on really trying to understand what’s the best thing for everybody,” Gores said today. “I’d say we’re in the diligence process and we’re keeping a close eye on it, but we just made a philosophical decision that we want to do more in Detroit.” The Pistons have been outside the city for nearly four decades, playing at the Pontiac Silverdome before moving to the Palace of Auburn Hills in 1988. Commissioner Adam Silver was in Detroit today and plans to talk with Gores about the potential move.

There’s more news from the Central Division:

As his team hits midseason, Gores likes the chemistry he sees on the court, writes James Hawkins of The Detroit News. The Pistons entered today in the sixth spot in the East, just three games out of second place. They are shooting for their first playoff appearance since Gores became the owner in 2011. “It took [coach/executive] Stan [Van Gundy] a little time to pull it together,” Gores said. “He’s very much based around how chemistry works and certain players being able to work with each other. That’s been the biggest difference [from past teams].”
Joakim Noah‘s shoulder injury is a sign to the Bulls that it’s time to rebuild, contends Steve Rosenbloom of The Chicago Tribune. He argues that the team should try to trade away Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose, if it can find a taker.
The Pacers have gotten a boost from the return of Myles Turner, according to Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. The rookie big man missed 21 games after fracturing his thumb in November, but is starting to show he has a future in the NBA. “I hate sitting out there watching sometimes, especially sitting down and not being able to make an impact on the game,” Turner said. “But now that I’m back and my coach has some trust in me, we keep building that trust going forward.”