Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Love, Meeks, Monroe, Noah

October 29th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers re-signed Kevin Love to a five-year max deal this summer, and LeBron James indicated Wednesday that getting the former All-Star involved is the team’s top offensive priority, notes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love is so far the team’s second-leading scorer, at 17.5 points per game, a point behind James.

“We’ll use Kevin however he wants to be used,” James said. “I told you Kevin is going to be our main focus. He’s going to have a hell of a season. He’s going to get back to that All-Star status. He’s the focal point of us offensively. I know I can go out and get mine when I need it. But I need Kev to be as aggressive as he was tonight, and when he rebounds at the level he did tonight, the shots will automatically fall for him.”

See more from the Central Division:

Jodie Meeks suffered a Jones fracture to his right foot during the Pistons game Wednesday, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told reporters, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. It’s an injury that some doctors say requires four to six weeks for recovery in some cases, Ellis tweets, though the team hasn’t released a timetable and specifics are scarce, Ellis notes.
Caron Butler played a half-season for the Bucks in 2013/14 and was briefly on the roster following this year’s Ersan Ilyasova trade, but Milwaukee can thank the native of nearby Racine for his hand in helping the team successfully recruit Greg Monroe, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times details. Butler, now with the Kings, and Monroe were teammates on the Pistons last season. “He grew up around here [Milwaukee] and played here and I listened to what he would say about Milwaukee,’’ Monroe said of Butler. “He had some positive things to say about being here. He also definitely played a role in me coming here.’’
Joakim Noah came to Fred Hoiberg with the suggestion that the Bulls start Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic instead of him, the new Bulls coach tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Noah was No. 8 in the 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings we compiled before the start of camp, though he figures to drop in the upcoming edition of our rankings now that he’s coming off the bench.

Eastern Notes: Monroe, Mahinmi, Spoelstra

October 28th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite meeting with the Knicks first during the free agent signing period this offseason, Greg Monroe dispelled the notion that New York was ever the frontrunner for his services, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “That was just the way it was scheduled,” Monroe said. “There was nothing extra. I wasn’t the only player teams were meeting with and that’s just how it fell in place.” David Falk, Monroe’s agent, regarding why his client chose the Bucks over the Knicks, told Bondy, “It wasn’t about presentation or marketing, It was about what Milwaukee already brought to the table.”

“The interest was definitely there [with the Knicks],” Monroe told the Daily News scribe. “I took an interest in everybody that was willing to meet with me. I don’t like to take anybody’s time for granted. I definitely didn’t take their time for granted. I made a decision based on the things that I was looking for and I wanted. At this point, I’d rather not [talk about it]. It doesn’t matter anymore. Any questions anybody has, I could honestly not care less. I’m happy with where I’m at. I definitely feel like I made the right decision.”

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

Ian Mahinmi, entering the final season of his contract and with the Pacers starting center job now his, worked tirelessly over the summer on his offensive game, particularly his shooting touch, as Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star examines.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been the exception to the rule for college coaches coming to the NBA, as most of them have struggled, so Billy Donovan of the Thunder and Fred Hoiberg of the Bulls face a challenge to defy history, as Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune examines.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is the second longest tenured coach in the NBA behind Gregg Popovich, yet he enters this season needing to prove himself all over again now that the team has overhauled its roster and is in need of a new identity, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Lopez, Pistons, Bulls, Petteway

October 28th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks coach Jason Kidd confirmed reports that the team had interest in Robin Lopez and Brook Lopez in free agency this summer, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Neither ended up in Milwaukee, with Robin going to the Knicks and Brook re-signing with the Nets, though the Bucks did well enough, landing Greg Monroe.

“We liked both of those guys,’’ Kidd said. “They both do something and they’re very productive. I think both teams got maybe the guy they wanted. Looking at the Lopezes, I’ve coached one of them and recruited another. They’ve always played the game the right way. The Knicks ended up with [Robin] Lopez, which is a good pickup for them.”

See more from the Central Division:

The Pistons have no shortage of players with contractual motivation to prove their worth this season, making “the disease of more” and the potential for selfishness a concern in Detroit, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details.
Other Eastern Conference teams improved their rosters in the offseason, but short of adding Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio, the Bulls stood pat, making it fair to wonder about Chicago’s apparent determination that the most pressing need for change was at head coach, opines David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
The contract that Terran Petteway was briefly on with the Pacers was non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and covered one season, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Indiana absorbed a small cap hit for signing him after Saturday’s deadline to remove non-guaranteed salary without it counting against the cap. The Pacers inked Petteway on Sunday and waived him on Monday to secure his D-League rights.

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Parker, Jefferson, Boatright

October 27th, 2015 at 10:13am CST by Chuck Myron

Fred Hoiberg chose the Bulls in part because of their ability not just to win now but to have sustained success for the future, Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Indeed, long-term thinking is a key for Hoiberg’s Bulls, as the coach has taken a decidedly less-aggressive approach than Tom Thibodeau, his predecessor, leading Jimmy Butler to remark that Hoiberg “really cares about how our body feels,” as Johnson relays. In all, Hoiberg has brought more calm and collaboration to the Bulls, Johnson writes.

“There are days where he just talks and relates to us. That’s big,” Taj Gibson said. “Sometimes, guys come in a little down. It’s good to have a coach that comes to you and says, ‘It’s all right. Things are going to happen. I’ve been there.'”

Another change for the Bulls this season is an opening night roster with 15 players, breaking a longstanding tradition of starting with less than the maximum number of players allowed. See more from around the Central Division:

The Bucks privately say that they won’t rule out the notion that Jabari Parker‘s absence will extend until late November, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick is still recovering from the torn left ACL he suffered in December.
The Cavaliers finished with a 1-6 preseason record, but Richard Jefferson was perhaps the team’s most consistent player throughout, an encouraging sign considering the free agent signee’s key role as the backup to LeBron James, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer details. The 35-year-old Jefferson asked out of a guaranteed one-year deal for the minimum with the Mavs to sign a contract for the same terms with Cleveland.
The deal that Ryan Boatright signed with the Pistons last week was non-guaranteed, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, so since Detroit waived him by the close of business on Saturday, he doesn’t count against the team’s cap. He’s reportedly expected to join Detroit’s D-League team as an affiliate player.

Central Notes: Granger, Noah, Thompson

October 24th, 2015 at 5:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s all but inevitable that the Pistons will waive Danny Granger, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy admits, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). They’re exploring trade options in the interim, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who cautions that it doesn’t mean a deal will happen (Twitter links). Granger has a fully guaranteed salary of $2,170,465, one of 16 full guarantees on the Pistons.

Here’s the latest from the Central Division:

The Pacers‘ new D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, officially hired Harrison Greenberg as Director of Basketball Operations, the team announced.
LeBron James is pleased that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is willing to venture deep into luxury tax territory in an effort to put together a contending team, Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a sign that he’ll do anything to help us go out there and perform,” James said of Gilbert’s spending. “I’m not comparing us to the New York Yankees, because we’re not, we’re so nowhere near compared to the New York Yankees, but they have one of the highest payrolls every year,” James continued. “They don’t win it every year but that’s what they believe in. They believe in going out there and getting the best talent that can play. When you have an ownership group or a collection round that believes what it’s going to take, then money is not an object.“
While Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has yet to make it official, center Joakim Noah is likely to begin the season coming off the bench, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “We’ll start the same way,” Hoiberg said. “If it looks good, [that’s] a pretty good chance that’s the way we’ll go on opening night.” When asked about Noah’s response to the potential move, Hoiberg said, “We’ve talked. We talk about everything that he’s done. He was great, he was excited about playing with Taj Gibson last game. I think those two have a very good chemistry out there together. And [Noah] was the one that talked to me about that, about how well he feels he and Taj play together out there on the floor.”
Tristan Thompson is glad to be back with the Cavaliers, but does maintain that he was prepared to miss regular season time if a contract agreement had not been reached, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. “I love playing basketball,” Thompson said. “That’s my love, that’s my passion. But with this business it comes with a business side of it. For me, that’s how I approach it. Business is business and my approach is if a deal gets done before the season that’s great, but if not then so be it. I’m not a rookie no more. I’m a veteran. It’s not something to take lightly. It’s a serious matter.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Bulls Waive Jordan Crawford, Marcus Simmons

October 22nd, 2015 at 1:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have waived Jordan Crawford and Marcus Simmons, the team announced via press release. The release of Simmons, a shooting guard who went undrafted in 2011, comes as no surprise, but Crawford, a four-year NBA veteran, appeared to have a decent shot to stick for opening night. The moves reduce the Bulls roster to 15 players, including 13 full guarantees, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is through with preseason cuts, since Chicago usually starts the season with only 13 or 14 players. Both Crawford and Simmons signed non-guaranteed deals.

Crawford, 26, was trying to restart his NBA career after spending last season in China and the D-League. The combo guard made 35 starts in 39 appearances for the Celtics in 2013/14, but he spent the second half of that season buried on the bench with the Warriors following a trade, and he’s had trouble regaining his foothold in the NBA since. He averaged 3.2 points in 7.2 minutes per game across five preseason appearances this fall.

Simmons and Crawford were briefly teammates with the D-League Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season. The 27-year-old Simmons won 2010/11 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior at USC, but he’s struggled offensively, shooting just 28.8% on 52 three-point attempts in the D-League last year. He went scoreless in about three minutes of preseason action for the Bulls.

Cameron Bairstow and Cristiano Felicio remain as the only Bulls without full guarantees. Bairstow has a $425K partial guarantee, and while the Bulls are high on Felicio, he’s without any guaranteed money.

And-Ones: Krzyzewski, Ennis, Lakers, Bulls

October 19th, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski will step down from his national team duties after the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, as he told Andy Katz of ESPN.com. The news is not surprising, since Krzyzewski had originally wanted to step away after the 2012 Games. He didn’t indicate a preference for any specific successor but said he’d like to see a coach experience with international competition step into the position.

“I think it’s time to move ahead. During the next season there will be a number of decisions made about the future of USA Basketball with Rio [the roster] and coaching,” Krzyzewski said to Katz. “There has to be a succession … a planned succession with really good people so we can keep the continuity of the program going.”

While we wait to see if the next USA Basketball coach has NBA ties, here’s the latest from around the league:

At least other two teams have interest in James Ennis of the Heat, scouts have told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, which complicates matters for Miami as it debates keeping Ennis for opening night, when his non-guaranteed salary would become fully guaranteed, Winderman notes.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has said he believes his team has more assets it could throw into trades than it had last season, but people around the league are pessimistic on what the Lakers can offer, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com details. In any case, the Lakers player with the greatest trade value is D’Angelo Russell, according to the consensus of the insiders who spoke with Holmes.
New Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg hasn’t observed any tension between stars Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose and is confident they can mesh on the floor, as Hoiberg tells Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times recently heard from a source who said Butler was frustrated with the point guard’s approach to the game. “I think they’ve got a very good relationship and that’s from sitting down and talking to both of them individually, talking to them together,” Hoiberg said. “There’s no issue there. I think those two would be the first to tell you that everything that’s been reported out there is not true. I think it could be one of the most dynamic, best backcourts in the league. I think those two play very well off each other.”

Central Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Butler

October 18th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Will Joseph

While center Andre Drummond, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Reggie Jackson are guaranteed starting spots, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Stanley Johnson are still fighting for the other two starting roles with the Pistons, Terry Foster of The Detroit News details. Each player has skills that make for a compelling argument, Foster writes, and no one seems to have the edge yet. Ilyasova can stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, Morris provides toughness and Johnson is quick in transition, Foster adds.

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls rookie Bobby Portis is standing out early because of his confidence, rebounding ability and scoring touch, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg acknowledged it would be hard to envision a scenario where Portis isn’t given rotational minutes early in the season, Friedell adds. “I just think it’s his energy,” Hoiberg said. “Anybody that goes out and plays that hard every possession, good things generally happen and that’s exactly what Bobby has done.”
Look for Jimmy Butler, who re-signed with the Bulls over the summer, to pick up his intensity on the court as the regular season draws near, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. Butler, according to first-year coach Hoiberg, has been focused on getting his teammates more involved in a new system, Johnson adds.

And-Ones: Williams, Durant, Rose

October 18th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Will Joseph

Deron Williams, who signed a two-year deal with the Mavs, will miss at least the entire preseason — which ends Friday for Dallas — with a strained right calf, and his status for the season opener is unknown, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Williams, as MacMahon points out, has yet to complete a full practice with his new team. An inability to stay healthy, of course, was a big reason for Williams’ decline while with the Nets. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including MacMahon, that there is no timetable yet for Williams’ return to the court.

Here’s more from around the league:

There is not much reason for Kevin Durant to sign an extension with the Thunder that would guarantee him $70MM when he could instead wait until he becomes a free agent and potentially sign a contract guaranteeing him roughly $140MM because of his tenure and the expected rise in salary cap, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines in a detailed overview of the superstar’s options.
Derrick Rose, in response to his comments he made on media day when he said that he’s already looking toward his next foray into free agency, said he is focused on winning a championship with the Bulls this season, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets.

Central Notes: Jennings, Monroe, Bulls, Williams

October 17th, 2015 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons hope to have Brandon Jennings back by Christmas, according to Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The point guard hasn’t played since rupturing his left Achilles in January, but coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he is “doing about everything” in practice, which includes step-back jumpers, running hard forward and backward and making moves before shooting. However, Jennings hasn’t been in a competitive situation or done any defensive drills. “They’ve given us sort of Christmastime, sort of tentative, very general, though, before or after so I think there’s a reasonable chance he could play in a game before the first of the year,” Van Gundy said.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Several former Pistons teammates who also played for Milwaukee helped convince Greg Monroe to sign with the Bucks this summer, writes Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. Assisting Monroe in making his decision were Jennings, Caron Butler, Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton, whom Monroe had Thanksgiving dinner with last year. Middleton joked that he called or texted Monroe “every five minutes” to recruit him for Milwaukee.
If the Bulls decide to go with a full roster of 15 players, Cristiano Felicio is a good bet to grab the final spot over Jordan Crawford, speculates K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The Brazilian center played on Chicago’s summer league team and is in camp on a non-guaranteed contract. Johnson believes he would be good insurance with Joakim Noah and maybe Pau Gasol becoming unrestricted free agents next summer.
The offseason addition of Mo Williams, combined with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, gives the Cavaliers three of the toughest players in the NBA, according to Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Nobody is going to punk me,” Williams said. “Nobody’s going to punk anybody who I stand with, so that’s just a motto that I have and I feel like my teammates should have that same motto.”