Bulls Rumors

Trade Candidate: Joakim Noah

December 25th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Matt Marton / USA Today Sports Images

Joakim Noah was the All-NBA First Team center and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013/14, a season in which he finished fourth in MVP voting and embodied the scrapping spirit of former coach Tom Thibodeau‘s Bulls. It seemed at times that year as though he was simply willing his team to its 48 victories and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, as Derrick Rose again missed most of the season. So, it’s striking to see where Noah is now. The Bulls have benched him and reportedly put him on the trade block, and he was averaging just 4.5 points per game, a career low, before spraining and suffering a “slight tear” in his left shoulder this week, an injury likely to keep him out for up to a month.

The downfall seemed to start with Chicago’s decision to sign Pau Gasol in the summer of 2014. Gasol made it clear during his time with the Lakers that he plays best as a center, not as a power forward, and that’s particularly true as the NBA moves increasingly toward small-ball. The addition of Gasol forced Noah, long entrenched as Chicago’s center, to change the way he played. The adjustment has been difficult, and the nagging injuries that have plagued Noah certainly haven’t helped. He remained in the starting lineup last season, but his scoring average dipped into the single digits for the first time in six years. His rebounding slipped to a six-year low, too.

It’s tough to measure whether Noah has sustained his defense, and as teams consider trading for him, making the right read on this will be critical. His defensive reputation took a hit last season, as he sunk to 12th in Defensive Player of the Year voting after winning the award in 2013/14. Still, his defensive impact on the Bulls was about the same in terms of the team’s defensive rating with him on the court versus off, according to NBA.com. Other advanced metrics say he was indeed a poorer defender in 2014/15 than he was in 2013/14, including Basketball-Reference’s Box Plus Minus, where his number went from 5.5 to 3.6, and ESPN’s Real Plus Minus, where he went from 3.92 to 2.21.

This season, the data sets disagree in the opposite direction. The team’s defensive rating with him on the court is worse than it is when he’s sitting, but he’s seen gains in Box Plus Minus and Real Plus Minus. The Real Plus Minus metric shows him as the league’s seventh-best defensive center.

Teams that invest heavily in proprietary data figure to have an edge, and few study the numbers the way the Mavs do. Dallas quite famously came up empty in its bid to acquire a marquee starting center this past summer, but the center the Mavs wound up with, Zaza Pachulia, is averaging a double-double and is 12th in Defensive Real Plus Minus this season, just five spots beneath Noah. The Mavs would surely hesitate to give up assets for Noah, whom they could simply sign in free agency this summer, particularly given Pachulia’s strong play.

The Rockets are another team heavy on analytics, and questions have swirled about Dwight Howard, who, like Noah, isn’t the player he once was. Noah would bring some leadership to a team that appears to sorely need it, but a Dwight-for-Noah swap is a far-fetched idea, at least without a third team involved. The Bulls would have to include an extra chunk of salary, since Noah is making just $13.4MM compared to Howard’s pay of more than $22.359MM, and the tandem of Howard and Gasol was already a failure for the Lakers. It would help if the Rockets sent the Bulls the wing players and shooting they’re reportedly after, but Houston isn’t trading James Harden, Trevor Ariza is shooting just 31.8% from behind the arc, and the other Rocket wings of note — Corey Brewer, Jason Terry and Marcus Thornton — would scarcely be enough to entice Chicago.

Another Southwest Division team would make a much more intriguing suitor. The Pelicans appear to be going nowhere fast, having fallen to 9-20 after an overtime loss to the Heat today. Eric Gordon, a career 38.0% 3-point shooter, might just fit the bill for the sort of perimeter upgrade the Bulls are apparently seeking. Ryan Anderson is an alternative who’d provide shooting from a different position and would ostensibly be a better fit next to Gasol than Noah is, though the Bulls have no shortage of frontcourt players. The Pelicans made a strong statement about their desire to have Anthony Davis at power forward instead of center when they signed ex-Bull Omer Asik to a five-year deal in the summer, but he’s struggled mightily this season. So has Noah, of course, but the Pelicans could experiment with a change of scenery, and if Noah doesn’t pan out, they don’t have to re-sign him. The same goes for either Gordon or Anderson with the Bulls, since they’re both poised for free agency, too. Still, the Pelicans don’t appear eager to trade Anderson, and chatter about Gordon has been quiet of late.

The Bulls face a stiff challenge to find a new home for Noah, who turns 31 in February. Trading Taj Gibson, whom they’ve also apparently made available, would probably be easier to pull off and reportedly net a greater return, but that could turn a position of strength into one of weakness if Noah and Gasol depart in free agency this summer, leaving Chicago with Nikola Mirotic and the untested Bobby Portis up front without a strong candidate to back them up. GM Gar Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson also have to be careful about removing a leader from a locker room that seems to have some troubling dynamics. Nevertheless, it appears from a basketball standpoint as though the Bulls have already moved on from Noah, so it makes sense for the Bulls to find a palatable offer and formally bid him adieu before the chance to recoup any assets at all for him vanishes.

What potential trades do you think would work for Noah and the Bulls? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

And-Ones: Warriors, Dawson, D-Will, Bulls

December 24th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Charlie Adams

Luke Walton has helped the Warriors get off to 26-1 start in Steve Kerr’s absence, but as Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report suggests, it’s been a more difficult task than it might appear on the surface. “When an assistant becomes a head coach, players hate it,” said Andre Iguodala, who went on to praise the job Walton has done at finding a balance between acting as head and assistant coach. As we wait to see if the Warriors can extend their historic start against the Cavs tomorrow, let’s have a look at a few items from around the NBA.

The Clippers have recalled Branden Dawson from the D-League, the team announced on its website. Dawson averaged 4.9 points across seven contests while on assignment with the Grand Rapids Drive.
Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post summarizes Deron Williams’ disappointing tenure in Brooklyn. Williams was supposed to be the face of the franchise, but he had a difficult time staying healthy and his performance on the court suffered as a result. “I felt like I didn’t know if I was ever going to be healthy again,” Williams said to Bontemps. The Mavericks signed Williams to a two-year, $11MM deal this summer.
Jimmy Butler’s comments directed toward Fred Hoiberg have some fans wondering if one of the two will be ousted from Chicago, but Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes in a mailbag column that he’s confident both members of the pair will still be with the Bulls next season.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Hinrich

December 23rd, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler‘s recent criticism of Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back demeanor has rankled Derrick Rose‘s camp, but the swingman has the full support of veteran big man Pau Gasol, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times writes. “I don’t mind those comments,’’ Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the team’s leader this season. “I think those comments are positive. Those comments and attitudes don’t raise my eyebrows. I think it’s good certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey let’s go.’”

“There was some positives and some negatives to that situation,’’ Gasol said of Butler’s public statements regarding the team. “It’s a good thing to say, at some point, enough is enough, something’s got to happen, something’s got to change, and you’ve got to say something and stir the pot a little bit. But some things also need to stay directed indoors and not be exposed outside.’’

Here’s more from out of the Windy City:

The Bulls are committed to Hoiberg, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, one-minute mark), and Wojnarowski suggests that if Hoiberg doesn’t pan out, it jeopardizes the jobs of executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman.
Point guard Kirk Hinrich has been a calming influence for the Bulls and one of the few constants for the franchise the last few seasons, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes in his profile of the player. “He’s been a warrior for the franchise,” small forward Doug McDermott said of Hinrich. “He’s been a really good player and put it all out on the floor. He deserves a lot of credit.”
While he remains an elite passer at the center position, Joakim Noah‘s broken shot mechanics and resulting lack of confidence in his offensive game have made him a liability on the court, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.

Bulls Make Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson Available

December 23rd, 2015 at 1:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls are determined to find an upgrade at the wing and feel like they need more shooting, and they’re open to trading either Joakim Noah or Taj Gibson for the best possible wing player available, executives from around the league have told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, as he said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, three-minute mark; transcription via Blog a Bull). Noah, poised to hit free agency this summer, said today that he’s expected to miss two to four weeks with a “slight tear” in his shoulder, a comment that came after Wojnarowski recorded his podcast. Gibson, signed through next season, has higher value on the trade market, a Western Conference GM said recently to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Jimmy Butler caused a stir with his recent criticism of coach Fred Hoiberg, but he’s well-entrenched on the wing with a new five-year contract. Tony Snell is shooting 38.7% from 3-point range as the replacement starter for the injured Mike Dunleavy at the other wing position, but he’s averaging just 5.6 points in 22.8 minutes per game. Dunleavy still appears to be a month or two from returning to play in games after a recent setback in his recovery from back surgery.

Wings are in high demand around the league, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks said to Wojnarowski on the podcast. The Timberwolves have reportedly made shooting guard Kevin Martin available, and the Bulls were apparently among the teams interested in him last season, though it’s unclear if they’re still eyeing him or if they’d be willing to relinquish Gibson or Noah for the career 38.5% 3-point shooter who turns 33 in February. Multiple reports have indicated that the Clippers are thinking about trading Jamal Crawford, though he’s a career 34.9% 3-point shooter who’s hit on only 30.9% of his attempts from behind the arc this season. The Nuggets are reportedly dangling Randy Foye, though he’s posted only 5.9 points in 20.0 minutes per game with 28.0% shooting this season.

Noah, who’s averaging a career-low 4.5 points per game, is making $13.4MM this year, while Gibson, a recent addition to the starting lineup, has an $8.5MM salary for this season, with $8.95MM coming his way in 2016/17. Chicago is a taxpaying team, so the Bulls can only take in 125% of the salary they trade away, plus $100K, unless they bring in players with contracts that fit within the minimum salary exception. The Bulls, who haven’t made a trade since July 14th, 2014, don’t have any trade exceptions.

Which wing players do you think the Bulls could reasonably acquire for either Noah or Gibson? Leave a comment to let us know.

Joakim Noah Out Up To A Month

December 23rd, 2015 at 12:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joakim Noah said he’s been told he’ll miss the next two to four weeks because of a “slight tear” within his sprained left shoulder, an injury he suffered in Monday’s loss to the Nets, as Noah said to media today, including Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). The potentially month-long timeframe confirms Tuesday’s speculation from coach Fred Hoiberg after the team said Noah would be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The ailment is the latest frustration in a tough season for the 2016 free agent whom Hoiberg benched. He made his first start of the year in Saturday’s loss to the Knicks, recording a season-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds, but he went back to a reserve role Monday before the injury. The ninth-year veteran is averaging a career-low 4.5 points per game, and his 22.3 minutes per contest are his fewest since his rookie season. Still, he’s been reluctant to criticize Hoiberg even as he’s shown signs of frustration with his reduced role.

Noah’s absence temporarily alleviates a frontcourt logjam for the Bulls, who’ve been trying to find time for promising rookie Bobby Portis while still keeping Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic involved. Still, the injury surely does little for Noah’s trade value, which has appeared relatively soft. One Western Conference GM told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he thinks Noah is poised to leave Chicago in free agency this summer, though Gasol has said he’s “very likely” to opt out.

The Bulls are also dealing with a long-term injury to Mike Dunleavy, who still appears about a month or two away from game action. They nonetheless are without the volume of injuries necessary to trigger an extra roster spot via the hardship exception. They can’t get a disabled player exception unless one of their players is expected to miss the rest of the season, and while two players among the 15 on their roster are without fully guaranteed contracts, both are big men, another indication that Chicago is unlikely to make a roster move to compensate for the loss of Noah.

How do you see the rest of the season playing out for Noah? Do you think the Bulls will trade him? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 12/22/15

December 22nd, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler has made some sharply critical comments about new coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back coaching style, a move that reportedly didn’t sit well with Butler’s teammates or the front office. “I believe in the guys in this locker room, yeah,” Butler had said after last Saturday’s loss to the Knicks. “But I also believe that we probably have to be coached a lot harder at times. I’m sorry. I know Fred’s a laid-back guy and I really respect him for that, but when guys aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, you got to get on guys. Myself included. You got to do what you’re supposed to do when you’re out there playing basketball.”

According to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, the Bulls are having difficulty adjusting to Hoiberg’s style after years of defensive-minded “taskmaster” Tom Thibodeau. Both Butler and Hoiberg are in the first year of their respective five-year deals, which makes any potential discord between Butler, the team’s star, and the new coach a dicey and uncomfortable proposition.

This bring me to the topic for today: Should the Bulls look to trade Jimmy Butler given his recent remarks and the rift that is reportedly developing between he and his teammates?

While there is little doubt that Butler is the team’s best player, it can be a chemistry killer if the face of the franchise isn’t on board with the coaching staff’s program. Butler has also reportedly rankled his fellow Bulls with his propensity to do his pregame warm ups on his own, a practice that caused Joakim Noah to have a talk with him recently, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Friedell had suggested that Butler’s remarks may have signaled “the beginning of the end” of his time in Chicago, though the controversy has seemingly died down since this past weekend.

But what say you? Were Butler’s remarks about Hoiberg out of line, or do they have merit? If you believe that the swingman was correct in his assessment, do you think he was justified in voicing his frustrations publicly? Would the Bulls be better served trying to deal Butler if a significant return could be garnered, or should the front office take the player’s comments to heart and look to make a change in the coaching staff? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

And-Ones: Bickerstaff, Noah, Smith

December 22nd, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is a big supporter of interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff and hopes the team plays well enough to nab Bickerstaff the position on a more permanent basis, Mark Berman of FOX 26 relays (via Twitter). When asked what it would mean to him if Bickerstaff was officially named head coach, Beverley said, “Oh, everything. He’s been great. We’re very close. [He] holds everybody accountable. No one’s bigger than the team. Our defensive principles and defensive intensity have definitely gone up since [he became interim coach]. It wouldn’t surprise me if he will be our head coach for years to come. That wouldn’t surprise me. We’re playing for him. Of course we play for ourselves. Of course we play for our family. We’re playing for him, for him to be here and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Bulls center Joakim Noah is expected to miss at least two weeks of action due to a sprained left shoulder, according to the team. Noah underwent an MRI today and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, but coach Fred Hoiberg noted that Noah could be out longer than that, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago relays. “The initial diagnosis, the shoulder sprain and the initial recovery is two weeks or rehab, then he’ll be re-evaluated. That’s what I’ve been told,” Hoiberg said. “Maybe two, maybe four. I just don’t know yet.” The big man is averaging 4.5 points and 8.8 rebounds for Chicago on the season.
Offseason signee Jason Smith has upgraded the Magic‘s bench on both ends of floor, and his strong play has coach Scott Skiles thinking about expanding Smith’s role, John Denton of NBA.com writes. “I always felt like he was a very good team defender and we felt like in a solid defensive system he’d be very good,’’ Skiles said of Smith. “He’s really protected the rim for us and he’s been very good at moving around and communicating. He’s been very valuable for us.’’

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Cousins, Jackson

December 22nd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Chuck Myron

The decision to move from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg in the offseason wasn’t about ginning up the offense, Bulls GM Gar Forman said to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, who heard from team sources who say several prominent Bulls players have asked Hoiberg to reinstall elements of the offense Thibodeau ran.

“Fred put in a lot of ball movement, but we have a lot of guys who hold the ball a lot,” Joakim Noah said to Lowe.

Chicago would have had Warriors leading assist-maker Draymond Green had Thibodeau and his staff gotten their way in the 2012 draft, coaches have said to Lowe, but instead they wound up drafting Marquis Teague at No. 29, allowing Green to slip to the Warriors at No. 35. Chicago has an otherwise strong track record at the end of the first round of late, with 2011 30th pick Jimmy Butler the clearest example, Lowe notes. See more from Chicago:

The Bulls deny that they’re interested in DeMarcus Cousins, Lowe writes in the same piece.
Andre Drummond played a key role in helping Reggie Jackson feel comfortable in Detroit following the trade that brought in the point guard last season, as James Herbert of CBSSports.com notes amid a feature on Jackson, who re-signed with the Pistons in the offseason. “We had dinners after games,” Jackson said. “It became that. Then it became we played video games, trash talk a little bit about who’s winning here, who’s winning there. Just hanging out all the time. I forgot I had an apartment of my own, I had my own condo — I just basically was at Dre’s all the time. We had practice together and then we would go play the game together, eat together, just hang out. We’d be up all night, end up just talking the game, trying to figure out what we have to do to get better and to try to figure out how to be a dominant force in this league.”
The signing of Mo Williams threatened to cut Matthew Dellavedova out of playing time at point guard, but he wrested the interim starting job from Williams during Kyrie Irving‘s absence and continues to play a key role now that Irving is back, observes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Dellavedova, who re-signed with the Cavaliers for the value of his qualifying offer this summer, is again set for restricted free agency in the offseason ahead.

And-Ones: Silver, Howard, Bradley

December 21st, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The controversial rules regarding intentional fouls will not be changed this season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post via email. Silver said he wouldn’t take action in midseason to prevent teams from employing “Hack-A” strategies, in which poor free throw shooters are fouled before the two-minute mark of a quarter. But the issue will be revisited when the competition committee meets in July, Silver added to Bontemps, who also conducted a phone interview with the commissioner and touched on a variety of topics.

In other news around the league:

The Mavericks shouldn’t even consider a trade for Dwight Howard, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines. Howard’s drama queen act and reputation as a coach killer isn’t worth the risk of bringing him aboard, Sefko continues. The Rockets center is also getting more brittle by the season, so the Mavs should not waste their cap space and trade assets on him, Sefko concludes.
Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley is currently 20th in steals at 1.6 per game but Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy says that doesn’t measure Bradley’s true impact as a defender. The Celtics force a league-best 17.9 turnovers per game and Van Gundy credits Bradley for making that happen. “It’s a very, very aggressive defensive team,” Van Gundy said. “Bradley and [Jae] Crowder in particular are really aggressive defenders and when they have [Marcus] Smart, that gives them another guy that can really get after you on the defensive end of the floor. Bradley is one of the best pressure defenders in the league and sort of spearheads the whole thing.”
Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler does not regret the critical comments he made about first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, John Jackson of the Associated Press reports. Butler ripped Hoiberg for being too soft on his players over the weekend, then met with his coach to discuss his concerns. Butler believes he needs to be more of a team leader, Jackson adds. “[I was] a little frustrated after a loss, yeah, but then again, I put a lot of it on myself now because I have to lead better,” he said. Center Pau Gasol said he doesn’t mind Butler’s comments, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. “I think it’s good that certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey, let’s go,’” he told Johnson.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Gibson, Noah

December 21st, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jimmy Butler insisted today that he wasn’t calling out Fred Hoiberg when he made a series of pointed comments implicating the coach after Saturday’s loss to the Knicks, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). The swingman said today that he accepts that he has to fit into Hoiberg’s offense, an issue that’s reportedly raised concern, and that the coach doesn’t have to change as a person, even though he would like to see him demand more, as Johnson also relays (Twitter links). Hoiberg agrees that he can get on his players more than he has and said that he didn’t find Butler’s remarks from Saturday hurtful, according to Johnson (Twitter links). See more on Butler, Hoiberg and other Bulls amid the latest from the Windy City:

Taj Gibson would net the Bulls a greater return in a trade than Joakim Noah would, but the Bulls have resisted the idea of trading Gibson the last two years, a Western Conference GM told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. A market does exist for Noah, the GM also said, though he thinks the center is poised to depart Chicago in free agency this summer anyway, as Deveney details.
Chicago has major locker room problems, and while acrimony doesn’t exist, a lack of camaraderie does, a league source who spoke to Deveney for the same piece said. Butler, whose lone-wolf approach reportedly leaves others feeling alienated, said today that after talking to his teammates, he believes they accept his leadership, even as he admits he has to be a better leader, observe Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com and Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (All Twitter links).
Doug McDermott has taken a leap forward this season, and he credits a significant part of that to Hoiberg, who attended the same high school as he did, Friedell notes. “He runs stuff for me,” McDermott said. “He gives me that confidence. He’ll run stuff for me and when you’ve got Derrick [Rose] and Jimmy out there you need a floor spacer and I know I’m going to get shots with those guys eventually just because they draw so much attention.”

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