Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Not Sure If Derrick Rose Will Miss Season

November 23rd, 2013 at 4:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose will undergo surgery for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the Bulls announced, but it’s not clear whether the former MVP will miss the rest of the season. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets that until the surgery is complete, “it’s known” whether Rose will return, likely omitting the “not” as he typed. The team’s release states that Rose will be out indefinitely, though the Bulls are “bracing” for the prospect that Rose won’t be back this season, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

It’s not as severe as the torn ACL that Rose suffered in his left knee in April 2012. That injury knocked him out of the playoffs that season and forced him to miss all of 2012/13. This ailment is nonetheless a blow to a Bulls team that had designs on a title run this year, and it appears Rose will miss at least a significant portion of 2013/14.

Chicago is about $7.5MM above the luxury tax threshold after having paid the tax for the first time last season. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is notoriously stingy, so it’s worth wondering if the team may look to unload a few contracts if surgery reveals Rose will miss the season. For the time being, it likely thrusts Kirk Hinrich, who’s on an expiring contract, into a starting role, and the injury could force the Bulls into a decision on second-year point guard Marquis Teague, who emerged as a trade candidate during camp.

Blazers Have Engaged Rockets About Omer Asik

November 23rd, 2013 at 1:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Blazers have been talking to the Rockets about acquiring Omer Asik, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who passes along the news amid his league roundup. Portland’s lack of an outside-shooting power forward, the sort of asset the Rockets are seeking, is a stumbling block, according to Lawrence.

Blazers management is cognizant that much of the team’s 11-2 start has been accomplished against a relatively easy schedule so far, prompting them to seek improvements to the roster. Lawrence speculates that Portland could give up Robin Lopez, and his cap hit, though more than $2MM less than Asik’s, is close enough to accommodate a one-for-one swap. There’s no indication Lopez is a part of the talks, however.

Asik is one of the league’s primary trade candidates, and has reportedly made weekly trade requests since the Rockets acquired Dwight Howard in the summer. Still, the Rockets appear to be in the early stages of sorting through trade possibilities for their backup center.

One team that apparently won’t be in the mix for Asik is the Bulls, as Lawrence writes that owner Jerry Reinsdorf is “dead set against” bringing the 27-year-old back to Chicago, since doing so would likely push the team further into luxury tax territory. The Bulls could probably find some sort of package, perhaps involving a third team, that would allow them to trade for Asik without taking on salary, but it sounds like no such deal is on the table.

Odds & Ends: Cunningham, Odom, Fisher

November 22nd, 2013 at 10:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

No one expected either the Suns or the Sixers to have half a dozen wins less than a month into the season, but both teams captured their sixth victories tonight. Stories about tanking have been few in the wake of their success, but there’s plenty other news to pass along:

The Spurs and Lakers inquired with the Timberwolves about Dante Cunningham in the offseason, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who figures those teams will be after him again when he hits free agency next summer (Twitter link).
Neither the Clippers nor Lamar Odom are rushing toward a deal, and after a few weeks both sides will probably have a better idea of whether he’ll join the team, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Derek Fisher re-signed with the Thunder for just the minimum salary, but he’s played an outsized role for the team so far, as The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry examines.
Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com looks ahead to next summer for Jimmy Butler, who’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension. Sam speculates that the Bulls will offer Butler a deal for about $8MM a year, and the scribe registers a few more guesses about what other top wing players approaching free agency will see on their next contracts.
The Mavericks made lots of changes to their roster in the offseason, and several newcomers are playing key roles in the team’s fast start. One of them is Jose Calderon, who discusses the smooth transition with HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy.
The Wolves renounced their rights to former second-round picks Tanguy Ngombo and Loukas Mavrokefalidis, notes Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links).

International Notes: Kings, White, Thornton, Spurs

November 21st, 2013 at 7:15pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Kings are dedicated to expanding their brand internationally, Will Robinson of Reuters reports. Kings president Chris Granger expressed his interest in appealing to NBA fans over in India: “Our overall mission for us is to become India’s home team.” This announcement is hardly surprising since we’ve heard numerous times that David Stern and the NBA as a whole are keen on expanding the league’s presence overseas.

Have a look at the latest international news:

Former first-round pick D.J. White will be returning to China. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Sichuan Blue Whales are bringing aboard the ex-Bobcats big man. Although White was in Chicago for training camp, he failed to make the Bulls’ opening day roster and most recently saw playing time for the Shanghai Sharks. White will join Hamed Haddadi on the Blue Whales, another former NBA player.
Al Thornton inked an international deal today in Puerto Rico. According to Sportando, the Brujos de Guayama have announced his signing. The former lottery pick hasn’t seen NBA action since 2010/11 when he put up a meager 7.4 PPG for the Wizards and Warriors.
Dan McCarney over at Spurs Nation takes a look at how the Spurs depth is due largely to the team’s excellent assortment of international players. McCarney notes that with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker aging, great play off the bench from “The Foreign Legion” is critical.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Gordon, Wittman

November 19th, 2013 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA held internal discussions about the Knicks‘ signing of Chris Smith and ultimately determined the move wasn’t in violation of circumventing the salary cap, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Previous reports have indicated rival agents believe the Knicks signed J.R. Smith and his younger brother as a package deal. However, a league official tells Berman that Chris is “one of those projects” who may not help immediately, but could develop into an NBA player.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

If the Knicks need to add a free agent, Smith may be the player released to make room, but so far the team has been content to stand pat despite frontcourt injuries. The latest player sidelined is Metta World Peace, who had fluid drained from his knee on Monday, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York. However, the procedure was believed to be minor, and MWP is expected back on the court by the end of the week.
Bobcats guard Ben Gordon tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that if the Bulls were to call him when he becomes a free agent next summer, he’d definitely listen. “I had a lot of success here, had a great time here,” Gordon said. “I’m not in position to rule anybody out.”
According to John Wall, the Wizards’ players believe in Randy Wittman, who isn’t worried that his job is in danger. Michael Lee of the Washington Post has the details.
Sam Amick of USA Today hears from a person with knowledge of the Wizards thinking that Wittman will still have the opportunity to right the ship in Washington before the team considers a change.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Smith, Akognon, Selby

November 16th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links

In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Rockets big man Omer Asik might be a fit for the Heat. A suggested swap of Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony for Asik wouldn’t work because Haslem can’t stretch the floor like Houston wants out of their power forward and even though Anthony could be a competent backup for Dwight Howard, the Rockets can do a lot better overall. More Saturday afternoon links from around the Association..

Knicks coach Mike Woodson made his dissatisfaction with J.R. Smith over his latest Twitter trouble known to everyone, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “Eventually, no team is going to want to deal with you,” said the coach.
Chinese team Qingdao waived Josh Selby to make room for yesterday’s signing of Josh Akognon, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The former NBA and D-League player lasted just two games in China. Selby came to the Cavs as a part of the three-for-one deal last year that sent Marreese Speights to Cleveland.
Akognon will make significantly more money with Qingdao than if he had signed with one of the several NBA teams that showed recent interest, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. With Qingdao, Akognon’s season will be complete and have him available to NBA teams by early February. Three NBA teams had been interested in him and would be more inclined to sign him near the trade deadline, a source said.
The value of Pacers forward Danny Granger next summer hinges largely on what he does this season, but he has yet to get back on the court. Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesn’t sound sure of when the 30-year-old might return. “We know he’s going to be out for a while with his calf,” Vogel said, according to Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star. “We want to get him back as soon as possible, but we’re not going to rush it. There’s no need to rush it.”
David West never seriously considered leaving the Pacers even though many felt that he could have gotten a larger payday than the three-year, $36MM deal he signed with Indiana, writes Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld.
In this week’s maibag, a reader proposes to Sam Smith of NBA.com that the Bulls use Luol Deng to pry Eric Gordon from the Pelicans. While New Orleans would like to move one of their ball-handling guards for a small forward, Chicago can’t afford to take on the risk of taking on the Indiana product given his sizable contract and attitude problems.
Wolves forward Corey Brewer had nothing but positive things to say about Denver after facing his former Nuggets teammates, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Brewer signed a three-year, $14.1MM deal with Minnesota this summer.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Bulls, Davis, Wolters

November 13th, 2013 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Parity has been the story of the first two weeks of the NBA season in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the 8-0 Pacers and the 5-3 Heat, every single team in the East has between two and four wins, and none are separated from the rest by more than two games. If the Knicks make good on James Dolan’s promise of a win tonight in Atlanta, there are scenarios in which Indiana and Miami will be the only Eastern teams above .500 tomorrow. While we look forward to a busy slate of games tonight, let’s check in on a few items out of the East….

According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Knicks considered signing Louis Amundson before the veteran big man joined the Pelicans, but ultimately decided to pass.
The Bulls don’t have a shortage of trade chips, but the safe money says they won’t cash in and make a major trade this season, says Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
In today’s NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler explores Glen Davis‘ trade value, and how it was (or wasn’t) affected by a recent off-court incident.
The No. 38 pick used to select Nate Wolters was involved in a pair of draft-night deals, and while Wolters never thought he was headed to Washington, he briefly thought he’d be a Sixer rather than a Buck, as he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
The Nets have re-assigned Tornike Shengelia to the Springfield Armor, the club announced today in a press release. It’s already Shengelia’s third D-League assignment of the season.

Bulls Audition Reggie Williams

November 12th, 2013 at 5:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

Swingman Reggie Williams had his second workout for the Bulls today, a source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The report doesn’t indicate that a signing is imminent, though the Bulls could be without Derrick Rose for a while with a minor injury to his right hamstring, so perhaps Chicago is searching for depth. The Bulls are carrying the minimum 13 players on their roster.

Williams was a victim of a numbers crunch in Houston, where the Rockets cut his 50% guaranteed contract at the end of the preseason to get under the 15-man roster limit. He’s played in the NBA each of the past four seasons, but his scoring average has decreased each year since he broke into the Association with 15.2 points per game as a late-season addition for the Warriors in 2009/10. He shot 40.5% from three-point range in each of his two seasons with Golden State, and just 30.7% from behind the arc the past two years with the Bobcats.

Chicago is roughly $8MM above the luxury tax threshold, so if the team signs Williams or anyone else, the Bulls would be subject to paying more in tax than they’d pay the player if they don’t dump salary before the end of the season. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf has traditionally avoided the tax, having paid it for the first time last season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the team is just lining up Williams as a contingency plan in case there’s a pressing need, though that’s just my speculation.

Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

November 7th, 2013 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Mike Dunleavy: Two years, $6.51MM. Signed via mid-level exception.
Mike James: One year, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum salary exception. Non-guaranteed.
Nazr Mohammed: One year, $1.4MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.

Trades

None

Draft Picks

Tony Snell (Round 1, 20th overall). Signed via rookie exception.
Erik Murphy (Round 2, 49th overall). Signed via minimum salary exception. First year is partially guaranteed for $250K. Second year is non-guaranteed.

Camp Invitees

Patrick Christopher
Dahntay Jones
Kalin Lucas
Dexter Pittman
D.J. White

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

Jimmy Butler (4th year, $2.01MM): Exercised
Marquis Teague (3rd year, $1.12MM): Exercised

For the last couple years, Bulls fans have been waiting on the team’s front office to make the move that will turn Chicago from a perennial contender into an Eastern Conference powerhouse. While the Heat have come out of the East in each of the last three seasons, the Bulls finished atop the regular season standings in two of those seasons, only dropping off in 2012/13 when Derrick Rose was sidelined for the year. The perception is that if the Bulls could find one more star to complement Rose, it may be Chicago, not Miami, that enters the playoffs as the odds-on favorite for the title.

But multiple offseasons have come and gone without the Bulls trading or amnestying Carlos Boozer. Luol Deng‘s contract inches closer to its end date. And future assets like 2011 first-round pick Nikola Mirotic and a future Bobcats’ first-rounder remain unused. Are the Bulls failing to take advantage of what could be a fleeting championship window, or is the front office simply biding its time, waiting for the best opportunity to strike?

I’m inclined to give the Bulls the benefit of the doubt, and assume that any major changes the club plans to make will happen next summer. Deng’s contract expires at that point, while Boozer’s becomes an expiring deal, making it easier to move, or at least easier to swallow via amnesty. There’s a chance Mirotic will finally come stateside for the 2014/15 season, and the club will have a clearer idea of when that Charlotte pick will finally change hands (it’s top-10 protected in 2014, top-8 protected in 2015, and unprotected in 2016).

Since the opportunity to make the biggest possible splash is still a few months away, it comes as no surprise that this past offseason was a fairly quiet one for Chicago. Despite not having Rose for the 2012/13 season, the Bulls still managed win 45 games and a playoff series. Re-adding a former MVP to a team that performed admirably without him qualifies as a big enough splash to make the Bulls a legit threat to topple the Heat and Pacers and win the conference.

Although much has been made about the lack of a second star to play alongside Rose, it’s worth noting that Deng is now a two-time All-Star, while Joakim Noah is coming off a top-five finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Throw in a still-productive Boozer, a solid third big man in Taj Gibson, and a rising star in Jimmy Butler, and there are certainly enough pieces here to compete. The Bulls may have missed out on putting together a Heat-like Big Three of their own when LeBron James hit free agency in 2010, but the current roster compares favorably to recent Finalists like the Mavericks and Spurs.

So with the promise of a returning superstar, the Bulls’ summer was about making small tweaks here and there. Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents off the board in July, and he’s an excellent fit for a team that lost Marco Belinelli. The veteran Dunleavy is said to be a fan of Chicago’s work ethic under head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the fact that he can make a three-pointer doesn’t hurt, since that’s not a huge strength for the Bulls’ starting wings — over his last three seasons, Dunleavy has averaged 1.6 threes per game on 41.1% shooting from downtown.

The return of the Bulls’ star point guard meant there wasn’t a strong need to retain Nate Robinson, who was likely out of the team’s price range anyway. In his place, the club re-acquired Mike James, a veteran who is already familiar with Thibodeau’s system and one who was willing to sign for a non-guaranteed minimum salary. Nazr Mohammed was also re-signed, and the Bulls added a pair of rookies in the draft, though neither Tony Snell nor Erik Murphy figure to get big minutes anytime soon.

The Bulls have always been a cost-conscious franchise, paying the luxury tax last season for the first time in club history. That’s likely a big reason why Chicago is one of only two NBA teams carrying the minimum 13 players into the regular season. Nonetheless, the club is well into the tax again this year, with $78MM+ in guaranteed salaries. Sneaking below the threshold looks nearly impossible, barring a huge salary dump, so it appears ownership is willing to pay those penalties again. I’d guess Bulls ownership would even be willing to use those open roster spots to add a veteran or two to fill out the roster in the second half, when they wouldn’t be earning full-season salaries.

Outside of the excitement of seeing Rose return to the court, it wasn’t a dramatic summer for the Bulls, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the league’s most successful teams are the ones with the least amount of annual roster turnover, and Chicago has enough talent to be a serious contender without any major changes. If the Bulls fall short again in the postseason in 2014, the club could seriously shake things up next July, but the decision to stand relatively pat this time around makes sense.

Luol Deng Wants To Retire With Bulls

November 6th, 2013 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Luol Deng will be an unrestricted free agent at year’s end, and given the emergence of Jimmy Butler and the fruitless extension talks between Deng and the Bulls this offseason, many observers believe this will be his last year in Chicago. However, Deng tells ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard that he certainly isn’t planning on bolting in free agency.

“I definitely want to stay here,” Deng said of Chicago. “I would love to play here my whole career.”

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported a month ago that Deng was more disappointed than he let on in the Bulls’ failure to engage in serious extension talks, and the 28-year-old acknowledged as much to Broussard. However, Deng hinted that the lack of extension doesn’t necessarily preclude a long-term future with the Bulls.

Still, if Deng is going to continue his career in Chicago, it looks like he’ll have to re-sign as a free agent rather than ink an in-season deal. While the Tom Thibodeau favorite remains extension-eligible until next July, agent Herb Rudoy suggested in September that his client would hit free agency, and sources tell Broussard that the Bulls forward is open to testing the market.

“I’ve seen players in the past who wanted to stay with their team and it didn’t work out,” Deng added. “At the end of the day, I can’t control that.”

With Deng’s $14MM+ salary set to come off the books in July, the Bulls will have the opportunity to clear a modest chunk of cap space if they let Deng walk and amnesty Carlos Boozer.