Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Washburn On Martin, Dooling, Draft

March 31st, 2013 at 12:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe delivers noteworthy news from around the Association in the latest installment of his weekly column, which blends a review of the top storylines from the past week with fresh news from league sources. We'll pass along the latter here:

Washburn wonders if Kenyon Martin's resurgence with the Knicks late this season will help his free agent stock in the summer, though the veteran big man isn't looking for a change of scenery. "I would love to stay a Knick," Martin said. "I don’t want to go nowhere. I am proving to this organization what I can be and who I am as a person on and off the court, and I think they see that. I’m here now and I’m going to make the best of this opportunity."
Keyon Dooling, whom the Grizzlies are reportedly considering, wanted to come out of retirement with the Celtics earlier this season, but he's barred from signing from Boston for a year after the team waived him in September, according to Washburn. I'm unaware of any such restriction under the collective bargaining agreement, but since the CBA isn't a public document, this could be a rule we're simply learning about for the first time.
Washburn expects several underclassmen who are on the fence about entering the draft to go ahead and do so, given the perceived weakness of this year's field. Of course, not everyone benefits from early entry. Washburn caught up with Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who believes his brother, Bulls rookie Marquis Teague, should have stayed in college one more year.

Eastern Links: Rose, Irving, Iverson

March 30th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows…I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.”

Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month.
During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it…I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life…If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward.

Central Rumors: Thibodeau, Jackson, Skiles, Scott

March 30th, 2013 at 4:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls agreed before the season to a four-year, $17.5MM extension, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported about six weeks ago that the coach had yet to sign the pact. The contract still remains unsigned, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though it's not uncommon for Thibodeau to hesitate on such matters, Wojnarowski points out. Wojnarowski's entire piece, in which he also notes NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson is looking for a front-office job with a team, is worth a read, and there are plenty of other stories out involving Central Division clubs, as we round up here:

Thibodeau says it's a "non-issue" that he hasn't signed his contract, explaining that he just received the paperwork back from lawyers who were reviewing it, tweets Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Thibodeau added that as soon as he gets an opportunity to forward the signed contract to GM Gar Forman, he'll do so.
Plenty of NBA GMs like Scott Skiles' no-nonsense approach, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders which NBA team the former Bucks coach will be piloting next year (Twitter link).
The Cavs haven't given any indication Byron Scott is in trouble, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer, in response to readers questions, isn't certain he'll be back to coach the team next year.

Earlier updates:

Chances are "beginning to look dicey" that Pistons coach Lawrence Frank will return next season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Owner Tom Gores will decide at the end of the season whether to bring back Frank for the third season on his deal. It's the final guaranteed year on Frank's contract, which includes an option for 2013/14, according to Ellis. I'd assume that's a team option, though Ellis doesn't specify.
Tobias Harris is seeing significantly more playing time with the Magic than he did before the Bucks traded him at the deadline, and Beno Udrih, who accompanied him from Milwaukee to Orlando in the same deal, thinks their old team wasn't giving Harris the minutes he deserved. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details. "When I was in Milwaukee with him, I always knew he had the potential and talent to be a great player," Udrih said. "And in Milwaukee, I think they were just holding him back. They didn't give him a real chance to show what he can do. Here, he got a chance and he's definitely proving himself and taking advantage of the chance."
HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham catches up with Malcolm Thomas, who speaks about the uncertainties of a 10-day contract. On Friday, Thomas signed his second 10-day deal with the Bulls.

Bulls Re-Sign Malcolm Thomas

March 29th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

2:00pm: The Bulls have officially signed Thomas to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

10:08am: Malcolm Thomas' first 10-day contract with the Bulls expired last night, but the team won't let him get away. According to Shams Charania of RealGM.com, Thomas will ink a second 10-day pact with the Bulls later today.

Thomas, 24, has appeared only very briefly in one game so far with Chicago, but the team views him as insurance in the frontcourt, since both Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson have missed time recently with injuries. According to Charania, the Bulls like Thomas enough that they're considering signing him for the remainder of the season, possibly with a non-guaranteed option for next season.

The Bulls are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, making Thomas the 15th man on the roster. If the team guarantees his deal for the season when his new 10-day contract expires, there would be no room for any more roster additions, unless someone was released.

Eastern Notes: Turkoglu, Heat, Pistons, Bulls

March 29th, 2013 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Friday notes from out of the Eastern Conference….

Turkey's Fenerbahce Ulker is hoping to add Hedo Turkoglu for the 2013/14 season, according to Can Pelister of TrendBasket.com (via Twitter). Of course, Turkoglu is still technically under contract with the Magic for next year, with half of his $12MM salary guaranteed. But while Turkoglu says he hopes to remain in Orlando, I'd expect the team to part ways with him.
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explores whether the Heat will still be able to convince unrestricted free agents to sign in Miami at a discounted rate going forward.
With the Pistons officially out of the playoff hunt for 2012/13, Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered (via the Detroit Free Press) tries to determine which prospects might be good fits for Detroit in the upcoming draft.
As Amare Stoudemire works to get healthy for the postseason, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News looks back at the Knicks' decision to give Stoudemire a fully-guaranteed, uninsured $100MM contract.
Signing Kenyon Martin is the latest in a series of successful moves for Knicks GM Glen Grunwald, writes Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com addresses a number of Bulls-related topics in today's mailbag, including whether the Bulls will trade Luol Deng this summer, or sign Ben Gordon on the cheap, should the Bobcats buy him out — neither possibility is likely, says Smith.

Eastern Rumors: Raptors, Price, Wall, Butler

March 28th, 2013 at 8:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks take on the Lakers tonight in a battle of teams currently occupying eighth place in their respective conferences, and while it seems the Lakers are the only team in the matchup that has to worry about making the postseason, the Bucks aren't moving any closer to clinching their spot. Milwaukee lost to the ninth-place Sixers last night, and Philadelphia could move within six games of the Bucks if the Lakers win tonight. Of course, six games back with 11 to play is quite a hill to climb, but the Bucks would surely feel more confident if they could break their four-game losing streak. Here's more on another team that's backsliding and more from around the East:

While it appeared to be a near-lock that the Thunder would receive the Raptors' 2013 first-round pick, Toronto's recent slide may improve their odds of keeping it, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The pick is protected from 1-3 and 15-30, and if the Raptors keep losing, it's not out of the question that they finish with the league's fourth- or fifth-worst record, says Wolstat. As our tentative draft order shows, the Raps are currently tied for the NBA's ninth-worst mark.
A.J. Price has been out for more than two weeks with a groin strain, and with just 11 games left in the season for the Wizards, the point guard is worried he won't get another chance to improve his free agent stock, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com details. "It adds to the frustration but what can you do? What can you do? Injuries are part of the game. Just trying to get myself back to form as quick as possible so I can showcase what I can do for everybody and make a statement," he said."I’m really trying to get back on the court."
John Wall, heading into a summer when he'll be eligible for an extension from the Wizards, has been drawing plenty of praise of late, observes USA Today's Sean Highkin.
If Jimmy Butler continues to show the improvement he's displayed of late, the Bulls could have a tough decision in the summer of 2014, when Luol Deng will be a free agent and Butler will be eligible for an extension, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Injury Notes: Gasol, Noah, Garnett, Lee

March 23rd, 2013 at 8:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There aren't very many games left in the regular season, and the playoff picture in both conferences could look drastically different by mid-April with plenty of teams close together in the standings as of today. While it's not usual for us to focus on injuries, we have a few significant notes worth mentioning tonight:

Pistons rookie big man Andre Drummond could be close to returning after a 21-game absence, says David Mayo of MLive. Although the Pistons aren't in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, a few more regular season games couldn't hurt the former UConn product's development if healthy.
Clippers guard Chauncey Billups is still day-to-day with a groin strain but could return on Tuesday against the Mavericks, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times tweets that Lakers forward Antawn Jamison has ligament damage in his right wrist. Although he'll try to play through it, Jamison probably faces surgery in the offseason.
According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter), the Grizzlies have announced that center Marc Gasol will be out indefinitely after re-aggravating an abdominal tear last night against the Hornets. Though they are ahead of the sixth place Warriors by a comfortable margin in the standings, Memphis is separated from the third place Nuggets by one game and the fourth place Clippers by just half a game.
Joakim Noah will sit both of the Bulls' games this weekend as he continues to deal with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. The team is currently one game behind the fifth-place Hawks and a half game ahead of the Celtics.
Greg Payne of ESPN Boston says that both Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett are individually recovering from sprained left ankles. There doesn't appear to be a sense that those injuries are expected to keep either out for an extended period of time, but with just 14 games left and Boston currently on a three-game slide, missing two key rotation players can't necessarily help.
Knicks center Tyson Chandler has already missed six straight games due to a neck strain, and is still considered day-to-day (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports). New York still remains atop the Atlantic Division, and while they are only one game behind the Pacers for second place in the East, the fourth place Nets aren't too far behind in their rear view mirror (1.5 games).

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Kidd, Wizards, Wall, Rose

March 22nd, 2013 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Heat signed Juwan Howard for the remainder of the season after the big man completed his second 10-day contract with the team. “He brings credible, veteran leadership [to the team],” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). While a team in Miami’s position would typically be in cruise control at this stage of the season, there’s a winning streak to protect, so we may not see Howard on the hardwood anytime soon. Here’s more from the conference that people once dismissed as the JV portion of the league..

Several people close to Knicks guard Jason Kidd wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it a career after this season, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The future Hall of Famer, who says that he hasn’t made up his mind yet, will celebrate his 40th birthday tomorrow. Kidd’s deal with the Knicks runs through 2014/15.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) asks how much Wizards guard John Wall is worth. Wall only has one more year on his rookie scale contract, meaning that Washington can work out an extension with him this summer. The Wizards could give him a five-year deal with the designated-player exception but they may instead decide to hold on to it for Bradley Beal.
In his latest mailbag, NBA.com’s Sam Smith writes that he doesn’t see Derrick Rose making the Bulls title contenders if he returns this season. The star guard would have to ease his way back into playing and likely couldn’t be as much of a factor in limited playing time.

Odds & Ends: Hunter, Smart, Larkin

March 21st, 2013 at 11:06pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are a few more odds and ends to round up the latest on the Association tonight:

Scott Bordow of AZ Central writes that the interim tag on Lindsey Hunter as the Suns head coach will remain for the rest of the season. GM Lon Babby says that the team will wait until the summer to determine Hunter's future.
Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State suffered a sprain in his right wrist during the team's exit from the NCAA tournament today, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo. Though Smart struggled during the game, one scout maintained that the 6'4" guard is a top 5 prospect and would be "crazy" to not declare for the draft this year (Twitter link). ESPN's Chad Ford tweeted that Smart is still not a lock to leave and is contemplating a return to school next year.
In an ESPN Insider article, Ford says that University of Miami guard Shane Larkin will not make a decision about his future until after the team's season is officially over.
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston talks about how rookie center Fab Melo has "come back to earth" a bit after posting up monster numbers in the D-League earlier this year. Though still raw, there is hope that the Celtics' center can use his time in the NBDL to improve his footwork and rebounding.
There are lingering questions about Richard Hamilton being able to return to action for the Bulls this season, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. With regard to the veteran shooting guard's back problems, coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters: "It’s not clearing up right now, so we have to wait.’’
As for Derrick Rose, Sam Smith of Bulls.com says that the waiting game continues as the superstar point guard continues to fuel speculation about his return.
Former Suns front office GM Steve Kerr says that while a return to management is unlikely, he would consider returning to basketball as a college coach (Michael Hiestand of USA Today reports).

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Raja Bell, Wall, Draft

March 20th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com takes an extensive look at the decision that will face LeBron James, along with the teams that hope to sign him, in the summer of 2014. While Windhorst suggests that the Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers, and Bulls are among the clubs that could be in the mix for LeBron in '14, he stresses that the former MVP himself has yet to make any decisions about whether he'll even opt out of his contract with Miami.
If the Cavs hope to recruit James or any other major free agent in the summer of 2014, they'll need to put a more competitive product on the court in 2013/14, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Despite not being playoff-eligible, Raja Bell has continued to search for an NBA job, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). However, nothing has developed, and Bell appears likely to sit out the entire season.
John Wall continues to tell reporters that he feels he's worthy of a maximum contract, with Michael Lee of the Washington Post the latest scribe to get a quote from Wall on the subject. The Wizards point guard tells Lee he'd be disappointed if he can't work something out with the team before the 2013/14 season gets underway.
When we asked last night whether Wall deserves a max deal, the response was an overwhelming no. Lee's readers at the Washington Post agree, as their responses indicate.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford answers plenty of draft questions in his latest chat, noting that the situation at Kentucky will be very interesting to watch. Top recruit Julius Randle announced today that he'll become a Wildcat, and three current freshman suggested yesterday that they're leaning toward returning to Kentucky for their sophomore years.
The NBA has hired former Nuggets and Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe as its vice president of basketball operations, the league announced today. Vandeweghe will report to executive VP of basketball ops Stu Jackson.