Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Hill, Jackson, Martin, Prunty

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers‘ Solomon Hill, who was the subject of trade rumors earlier this season, replaced Chase Budinger in the rotation during Saturday’s win over the Pistons, writes Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. In November, Indiana decided not to pick up the option on Hill’s contract for 2016/17, but he has been steadily making an impression on coach Frank Vogel. “Solomon Hill’s been giving us something in the last couple of games when he’s been called upon,” Vogel said. “I just wanted to get Solomon in there somehow. Chase was the guy that we had to pull out. It wasn’t anything that Chase had done.” It was the first DNP of the season for Budinger, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Wolves.

There’s more from the NBA’s Central Division:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy continues to defend Reggie Jackson‘s decision to request a trade from the Thunder last season, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Stuck behind Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, Jackson was dealt to Detroit in a three-team trade at last year’s deadline. “You look at Reggie’s situation,” Van Gundy said, “[and] there was really nothing bad there. He was a guy that was looking for an opportunity to play more, and was sort of vilified for that, I guess — for wanting to play more. I guess people wanted him to be happy being a backup his entire career.”
There’s probably little substance behind rumors that the Bulls are interested in Kevin Martin, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. He notes that Martin is nearing age 33 and has another year on his contract worth nearly $7.4MM. In addition, his scoring average and shooting percentage are near career lows.
Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty switched up Jason Kidd’s rotation in a win last week over the Pacers, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Prunty used Greg Monroe and Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with three reserves, as Milwaukee built a lead late in the first half. “The intent was trying to find out the right mix of players to be on the floor at the right time,” Prunty said. “I thought it worked well and it’s something we’ll keep looking at.”

Eastern Notes: Biyombo, Rozier, Portis

January 2nd, 2016 at 4:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors center Bismack Biyombo has stepped up his play while filling in for Jonas Valanciunas, and the player is also beginning to find his niche in the league after being labeled a disappointment during his time in Charlotte, Jessica Patton of The Toronto Sun writes. “I think he understands now too who he is and what he is,” coach Dwane Casey told Patton. “He’s a rebounder and a defender. He doesn’t have to worry about scoring. He’s an opportunity scorer. [Before] everyone was kind of ‘ah, he can’t catch the ball, he can’t do that, he can’t do this,’ and they were concentrating on what he couldn’t do rather than what he can do.”

Discussing the pressure being a lottery pick placed on Biyombo, Casey said, “It’s tough, but again there is no shame in having a role as an elite defender and an elite rebounder in the league. As long as Bismack is playing the way he is playing and playing with that confidence, you can erase seven, two, three, 10 [draft number] or whatever, he’s going to have an impact on the game.” The 23-year-old was the No. 7 overall pick back in the 2011 NBA draft.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The emergence of rookie power forward Bobby Portis will give Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg some difficult choices to make once Joakim Noah returns from his shoulder injury, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “Absolutely,” Hoiberg responded when asked if Portis has cemented himself in the rotation. “We’re going to continue to find minutes for Bobby and there’s no doubt about it. He’s playing too well, he’s playing with so much confidence. He rebounds the ball, he plays with a toughness and a swagger, and that’s what you want. We’ve talked all along; Bobby’s not going to back down from anybody and he continues to show that night after night.“
The Celtics have re-assigned point guard Terry Rozier to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This will be Rozier’s fifth stint with the Red Claws on the season.

And-Ones: Morris, McGary, D-League

December 31st, 2015 at 3:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons combo forward Marcus Morris can’t hold back from commenting on his brother’s situation with the Suns, and insists that despite Markieff Morris putting a positive spin on things, he still wants out of Phoenix, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays. When asked what is wrong with the Suns right now, Marcus responded, “It’s self-explanatory. You see what’s going on. Sorry to say it, but it’s self-explanatory. I don’t know what’s going on over there. It’s like a [clown] show right now.” Discussing Markieff’s feelings about the franchise, Marcus told Ellis, “One thing about Keef is he’s always positive. Some stuff might happen a little, but he’s always positive. He’s still looking to get out of there, still looking to go somewhere else. Right now he has to be a pro and continue to take care of his business on and off the court.”

When asked if he has advised his brother on what to do going forward, Marcus said, “It’s not like he’s going to read this and say my brother gave me some advice. We talk every day. He knows what’s best for him. We all know what’s best for him, and what’s best for him is to continue to be professional and continue to work hard on his game. I know he’s doing that day in, day out — regardless of the suspension and what’s going on. He’s a hard worker, and so he will continue to be ready when his number’s called. If he gets traded, he’ll be able to contribute to any team in the league.”

Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Thunder have recalled Mitch McGary from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the big man’s fourth stint with the Blue on the season.
The Pacers announced that center Shayne Whittington has been recalled from the D-League. This concludes Whittington’s second assignment to the Mad Ants of the season.
The Bulls have assigned power forward Cristiano Felicio to the D-League, the team announced. Felicio will report to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, as part of the flexible assignment rule since Chicago doesn’t possess its own D-League team.
Josh Richardson and Jarnell Stokes, both of whom are currently assigned to the Heat‘s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, will be recalled on Saturday, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel tweets.

Eastern Notes: Marshall, Butler, Bosh

December 31st, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler notes that he and Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg are learning a lot about each other, and that Hoiberg is holding him accountable for his actions, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I still got respect for him,” Butler said of Hoiberg. “I don’t think it’s a different light. Nothing I do is to disrespect anybody. I think he realizes I’m going to be here, I realize he’s going to be here, so we got to deal with each other anyways. I think that he’s holding me accountable for everything. He talked to me whenever I was low energy last game, and I fixed it. That’s the type of guy he is. He has the utmost confidence in me because he continually put the ball in my hand when he didn’t have to.”

Butler does appreciate the effort that Hoiberg has made to connect with him, Friedell adds. “I think we’re both learning a lot about each other,” Butler said. “He’s probably learning how moody I am on a daily basis, to tell you the truth. And it’s hard, but I think he lets me be who I am. He handles everything that I do very well. I’m not a big communicator, I’m not great at it, but he’s always talking to me. He’s always asking, ‘How are you doing? What can we do?’ He’s always asking my opinion on a lot of things. Yeah, it helped a lot.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Sixers point guard Kendall Marshall‘s role has been significantly diminished with the team’s acquisition of Ish Smith from New Orleans, but he is trying to remain upbeat despite the team’s woes, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.”It’s not easy,” Marshall said of losing his starting spot. “But it’s part of being a professional. I’ve definitely been in this situation before. I know what it’s like. At the end of day, I have to play better if I want to be on the court. He’s playing extremely well. Obviously our team is playing a lot better. We are in game. When the team is playing better that’s not anything I can be mad about.“
Chris Bosh believes that the Heat suffer from focus issues and don’t pay enough attention when leads begin to slip away during games, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. The power forward didn’t call out anyone in particular, but did note that the problem includes both players and coaches, Lieser adds. “Yeah, top to bottom,” Bosh said. “I’m inclusive. We’re a team. From me to [coach Erik Spoelstra] to the guys in the locker room, we have to not let that affect our play. We have to move on to the next one. We want to have the No. 1 league defense and the No. 1 league offense, but we don’t have that, so we have to work with what we have and play the game.“

And-Ones: Kerr, Knicks, D-League

December 30th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Will Joseph

There seems to be a slim chance that Golden State head coach Steve Kerr could resume his duties with the Warriors as soon as this weekend, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Kerr took his first road trip of more than one game when he accompanied the team to Texas for its games against the Mavs and Rockets on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, MacMahon notes.

“It’s obviously a possibility,” interim coach Luke Walton told reporters, including MacMahon, of Kerr’s potential return to the bench this weekend. “He hasn’t said he’s going to. To be honest, I don’t think he knows yet. I think that’s part of why he’s on this road trip, to see how his body handles the travel and getting into Houston at 1 a.m. tonight to turn around and play again then get on another plane and fly home and get in late again. So that’s part of why he’s here on this trip, whether or not this weekend is a realistic return or not.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Cleanthony Early getting shot in his right knee early this morning does not exactly endear New York City to soon-to-be free agents, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News opines. Since April, there have been four highly publicized crimes involving NBA players in the greater New York area, as Isola points out. For the Knicks, who are hoping to be major players this summer, the string of recent incidents likely makes New York City a tougher sell, Isola surmises.
The Hawks assigned center Edy Tavares to D-League, the team announced in an emailed press release. Tavares is headed to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, because the Hawks do not have their own affiliate.
The Spurs recalled Ray McCallum from their D-League, the team announced on its website. McCallum is averaging 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 13 appearances this year with San Antonio.
The Celtics recalled Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, Boston announced (on Twitter).
The Bulls will send Cristiano Felicio to the D-League on Thursday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter). The power forward has not appeared in a game since November 27th.

Eastern Notes: Larkin, Gibson, Wizards

December 30th, 2015 at 1:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets point guard Shane Larkin said that he needed to get away from the Knicks and the triangle offense in order to grow as a player, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “I’m in a pick-and-roll system my third year,’’ said Larkin. “My first year [in Dallas] I was in a pick-and-roll system, but I was coming off a broken ankle, so I missed time with that, didn’t get a preseason, so I was just kind of learning on the fly. Last year wasn’t the best system for me, that year went however it went. And this year I feel like I’m growing every single game and being more comfortable out there and just playing my game. I feel like it’s a good fit.’’ The 23-year-old is averaging 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 18.9 minutes of action per game this season for Brooklyn.

Here’s more from the East:

Power forward Taj Gibson is supportive of rookie Bobby Portis, whose play in the wake of Joakim Noah‘s injury has many calling for an increased role for the young player, and potentially making Gibson a trade candidate for the Bulls, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. When asked if the emergence of Portis has given conflicting feelings, Gibson responded, “What do you mean mixed feelings? It’s never mixed feelings. At the end of the day I care about my teammates. I don’t worry about all that. If he plays well it’s good for us, it’s good for the team. I want him to succeed. At the end of the day, we’re millionaires. We play a game.”
Paul Pierce believes that the Wizards, his former team, will be a dangerous team once they get healthy, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. “Right now I think they’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries. I keep up with them when I’m not playing. I’m still good friends with a lot of guys on the team. We chat on the text,” Pierce said. “I just think they’re dealing with a lot of injuries and kind of got off to a slow start. And I think once they get healthy, you’re going to have to watch out for them. They got a lot of depth when they’re healthy. A guy like Alan Anderson can definitely be a positive for them as far as their wing depth. Obviously, they’re missing a lot of their big men so I think once they get healthy, if they get healthy at the right time, they can make a real good run in the East.”
The Heat have assigned shooting guard Josh Richardson to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Richardson’s first sojourn of the season to Sioux Falls.

Central Notes: Pachulia, Jackson, Butler

December 29th, 2015 at 4:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zaza Pachulia had mixed feelings when the Bucks dealt him to the Mavericks during the offseason but he wound up in a better situation, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Pachulia has thrived with his new club, while Milwaukee has floundered without his leadership on and off the court, Gardner continues. “I really was sad to leave all that we were doing last year,” Pachulia told Gardner. “I had such a great relationship with these guys and the coaching staff. … I remember how sad they [Bucks players] were when they heard I got traded. I was making the game easier for them. So I was thinking I was doing something right.” Pachulia would have backed up the Bucks’ prized free agent, Greg Monroe, at center but has emerged as a starter with Dallas, averaging a double-double, Gardner adds.

In other news around the Central Division:

Point guard Reggie Jackson came to the Pistons during the trade deadline last season with questions about his character after complaining about his role with the Thunder. That didn’t give Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy any concerns when he made the deal. “You look at Reggie’s situation, there was really nothing bad there,” Van Gundy told the assembled media last week, including Hoops Rumors. “He was a guy that was looking for an opportunity to play more and he was sort of villifed for that. I guess people wanted him to be happy being a backup his entire career.”
Jimmy Butler has put himself in a sticky situation by trying to become the Bulls’ leader with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah still in the locker room, Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com opines. Butler’s power play shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a problem but it remains to be seen how he handles being the team’s best player, Feldman adds. Feldman was commenting on an assertion by ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell during a podcast with Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post that Butler has “really rubbed some people the wrong way ” with his recent actions and that Butler has not earned the trust of his teammates to be their leader.
The Bucks’ interest in veteran small forward Caron Butler is now “on hold,” Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The Kings had promised to try and trade Butler, who played 78 games for the Pistons last season but has appeared in just nine with Sacramento.

Central Notes: Hill, Morris, Portis

December 29th, 2015 at 12:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pacers small forward Solomon Hill has maintained a positive attitude despite falling out of coach Frank Vogel‘s regular rotation, which could have been an issue for the player seeing as he’s in the final year of his contract, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “I have to keep being upbeat,” Hill said. “If I was down in the gutter and C.J. Miles went out and I was thrown out there and I’m not ready, it’s just going to show why I shouldn’t be playing. It’s days like this that show my hard work is paying off.” Hill also noted that he’s aware that he has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate, but insists he doesn’t want to leave Indiana, even if it would mean more playing time, Montieth adds. “I’m an Indiana Pacer,” he said. “They drafted me. I’d definitely love to be here and be part of something great with this team. We have the makings of a special team. We have the potential to be one of the top two teams in the East.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Marcus Morris is excelling for the Pistons and he should be given a larger role in the offense, David Mayo of MLive.com argues. Morris isn’t pushing for more shots, as he thinks more opportunities will come within the offensive system. “At the end of the day, coach does a great job of getting me the ball, finding spots for me to get the ball in my isos and my posts, so I’m not really too worried about whether I’m going to get my shots up, because half the time I know they’re going to come,” Morris said. “It’s more just the ball-movement thing.”
With so many players returning from injury, the Cavs realize it’s going to take time for the team to gel, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. “Just because guys are coming back doesn’t mean everything is going to be right,” LeBron James said. “It’s going to take time because for the first eight weeks we had built chemistry, we knew who was playing, we knew who wasn’t playing. We had rotations, Coach had rotations down, so we got to get back to that.”
The solid play of rookie Bobby Portis for the Bulls will make it difficult for coach Fred Hoiberg to sit him when Joakim Noah returns from injury, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com. “He’s not afraid of the moment that’s for sure,” Hoiberg said of Portis. “To be 20 years old and go out there, big minutes against Oklahoma City in a game on Christmas Day on ABC, it shows you what the kid’s makeup is all about. The kid’s got no concern, just thrives and has all kinds of confidence. You love to see that. He’s not gonna back down from anybody.”

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Barnes, D-League, Donovan

December 28th, 2015 at 12:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA has suspended Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes for two games without pay for his role in the off the court altercation with Knicks coach Derek Fisher back in October, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. Barnes is expected to serve the suspension during tonight’s game against the Heat and Saturday’s game at the Jazz. He will lose $64,409 in salary because of the suspension, Wojnarowski adds. The small forward will be eligible to play the next time New York and Memphis square off, which is set for January 16th in Memphis.

Here’s more from around the league:

Thunder coach Billy Donovan said that he wasn’t worried about the differences between managing NBA players and college ones when he accepted Oklahoma City’s vacant coaching position this past offseason, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. “I didn’t look at coming here to Oklahoma City under that umbrella of ‘what are all these relationships gonna be like,’ because I think we’re all people,” Donovan said. “I think you communicate, you talk, generally things work themselves out. Everything’s not always gonna go perfect, but I think if you’re working for the same cause, moving in the same direction, things get resolved.” Donovan was responding to a question regarding the difficulties new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is experiencing this season after also making the jump from the NCAA to the pros.
The Rockets have recalled swingman K.J. McDaniels and power forward Montrezl Harrell from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (Twitter link). This was the third D-League assignment on the season for McDaniels and the second for Harrell.
The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This will be Mickey’s eighth jaunt to Maine on the season.

Bulls Rumors: Paxson, Hoiberg, Butler, Carlisle

December 26th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said the team benefited from a five- to 10-minute talk by executive vice president John Paxson, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Several players said Paxson’s address helped them get focused again after a difficult week that included a three-game losing streak and an incident where Jimmy Butler publicly questioned Hoiberg’s coaching style. “Look, John was a tough, tough guy,” Hoiberg said. “… Our guys really respect John and it was good that he sat in there and again that’s what we did a lot in those three days we had off. It wasn’t just time on the practice floor, but we spent time in the film room just talking things out and John was a big part of that.”

There’s more news tonight out of Chicago:

Paxson would have preferred that Butler address the coaching situation privately, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. In a Friday morning interview on radio station WSCR-670 AM in Chicago, Paxson said the team needs to get beyond any lingering dispute between the player and coach. “My feeling is that as long as it’s been addressed, which it was, and the parties are there to move on, it will be OK,” Paxson said. “When you lose and our schedule not getting any easier, it’s very easy for anyone to point fingers. But the reality is what you have to do and what you have to understand is if you’re not in this thing together, then you might as well not be in at all.”
Despite hitting some bumps in his first NBA coaching job, Hoiberg has a big supporter in Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, Friedell writes in another post. Their relationship began when Hoiberg played for the Pacers in the late 1990s and Carlisle worked as an assistant under Larry Bird. “Fred’s been in the NBA if you count his playing years, his management years … 15, 16, 17 years,” Carlisle said. “… I wouldn’t paint this [picture] that he’s some newcomer. … The job I see him doing [with the Bulls] is a very strong one. I wouldn’t believe the hype.”
Last week’s incident with Butler indicates a leadership void in the Bulls’ locker room, contends Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The columnist says Butler’s attempt at leadership seemed “forced or rushed,” but injuries and declining production have pushed Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah out of leadership positions, while Pau Gasol is “too cerebral and mature” and may opt out of his contract this coming summer.