Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Batum, Gallinari, Kabongo, Lee

December 20th, 2012 at 10:08pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jason Quick of the Oregonian looks at the friendly rivalry between the Trail Blazers' Nicolas Batum and the Nuggets' Danilo Gallinari that has stemmed from their days as young Euroleague stars hoping to make it into the NBA. Most notably, Quick mentions that Batum's salary negotiations this past summer were influenced by the type of deals that Gallinari, Marvin Williams, and Arron Afflalo had received with their respective teams. With that aside, here are a few more rumblings from around the Association tonight:

Derrick Rose took part in the non-contact portion of Bulls practice today, although coach Tom Thibodeau has not yet placed a timetable on the superstar's return (Seth Gruen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports).
Despite a strong start to the season, the Warriors' upcoming stretch against teams that have a notable inside presence will help determine if their interior defensive struggles against the Kings were either minor or a sign of a major problem, writes Marcus Thompson II of MercuryNews.com.
Rookie Royce White is "hopeful" that he'll play for the Rockets again sometime this season (Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets).
1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson confirms earlier speculation via a team source that Timberwolves guard Malcolm Lee will be sidelined for the rest of the year (Twitter link).
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted that Chris Douglas-Roberts is another top option available for the Timberwolves in addition to Michael Redd.
In his Nuggets Mailbag, Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post discusses why he thinks Gallinari has shown the capability of being a clutch All-Star type of player, why Carmelo Anthony isn't necessarily the clear-cut MVP right now, and the Nuggets' decision to commit to a long-term deal with Ty Lawson.

Central Notes: Pistons, Varejao, Bucks, Robinson

December 20th, 2012 at 4:26pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Central Division on Thursday afternoon:

Keith Langolis of Pistons.com has a new mailbag column in which he answers reader questions about hypothetical trades the team could make for players like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Langolis expects the Lakers to make a strong push when Love hits free agency.
Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com writes that Anderson Varejao is happy with the Cavs, and wonders whether the Celtics could be a potential trade destination.
Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley denies reports that he would like to buy the Bucks.
Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com writes that Nate Robinson is not affected by the fact that his contract with the Bulls isn't guaranteed.
Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com has a Q&A with Jeremy Pargo, who filled in ably for Kyrie Irving when Irving was injured earlier this season.

Johnson On Bulls Backcourt Options

December 18th, 2012 at 10:45pm CST by Alex Lee

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls are at the very least considering cutting Nate Robinson prior to his contract becoming fully guaranteed on January 10. Johnson says that the Bulls can waive Robinson prior to that date with no penalty, an option that "always has been under consideration internally" and is growing more likely as rookie Marquis Teague continues to develop.

The Bulls backcourt has been in flux since they lost Richard Hamilton to a foot injury. That uncertainty would seem to make parting ways with Robinson risky, but Johnson says that Teague and the inevitable return of Derrick Rose will make him expendable. Since Hamilton was sidelined in early December, Teague has seen his minutes double with mixed results.

Citing league sources, Johnson adds that Hamilton, who was the subject of trade rumors this summer, is again being offered in certain scenarios. There is a $1MM buyout for Hamilton's deal next year, making him attractive as an expiring contract as well as a veteran scoring addition for a contender. Johnson says the Bulls will need to rid their payroll of just over $3MM to avoid the luxury tax, which they have never paid.

Odds & Ends: Mayo, Lakers, Howard, Hornets

December 16th, 2012 at 9:44pm CST by Zachary Links

While the defending champs can't kick themselves too much over personnel decisions, the Heat might have benefited if Pat Riley had listened to Dwyane Wade back in 2008, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Miami took Michael Beasley No. 2 overall, but Wade pushed for the team to draft guard O.J. Mayo. Other players passed up by Miami include Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook. Here's the latest from around the league..

The Lakers are on the hook for about $30MM in luxury tax payments this season, but that's almost nothing compared with what they may pay next season, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. If the Lakers re-sign Dwight Howard and keep most of the existing roster together, they'll be looking at a $103MM payroll. If the tax threshold climbs by 5% to $73.8MM, the Lakers would owe approximately $81.5MM in tax.
The Hornets signed Dominic McGuire today because coach Monty Williams has not been pleased with the play of his small forwards, tweets John Reid of the Times-Picayune. McGuire was released by the Raptors at the end of November to make room for Mickael Pietrus.
Bulls rookie Marquis Teague is starting to find his groove as he plays with the starting five, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. However, the guard will head back to the bench soon as Kirk Hinrich is getting ready to return to action.

Central Notes: Varejao, Derrick Williams, Belinelli

December 15th, 2012 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

All five Central Division squads are in action tonight, and three of them face stiff tests. The Bulls take on the Nets, the Bucks play host to the red-hot Clippers, and the Cavs visit the Knicks, who are unbeaten at Madison Square Garden. There's plenty of action off the court as well, and here's the latest on Central squads.

While she acknowledges she's in the minority, Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer doesn't think the Cavs will trade Anderson Varejao, arguing that he's the team's best player and that it might take several years to develop a young replacement who could equal his production.
In the same Q&A with readers, Schmitt Boyer says she also doesn't think the Cavs will go after Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams.
Bulls offseason signee Marco Belinelli said he had perhaps the toughest training camp of his life as he struggled to adjust to a new system and a new team, but now he's averaging 19.0 points per game over his last five contests after stepping into the starting lineup for the injured Richard Hamilton. HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham has more.
In that piece, Brigham also looks at several who could be in line for their first All-Star appearance this season, and Central Division players are well represented. Varejao and Kyrie Irving of the Cavs, Joakim Noah of the Bulls and Brandon Jennings of the Bucks are on the list.
Pistons GM Joe Dumars has been high on Andre Drummond ever since a pre-draft meeting in which Drummond gave Dumars direct answers to questions about his energy and willingness to play hard, two areas of doubt that had caused other GMs to pass on him. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com has the details.

Lawrence On Horford, Dwight, Thibodeau, Paul

December 15th, 2012 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News examines the fast starts of the Knicks, Warriors, and Hawks, but believes the script could have been drastically different for Atlanta this season. Here's a roundup of a few rumors he's sharing.

The Hawks offered up Al Horford as part of a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard in August, according to Lawrence, who notes the Hawks will have enough cap flexibility to pursue the Atlanta native when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management are waging a "cold war" over the coach's heavy minutes for his starters this season, Lawrence hears. Thibodeau offered his side of the argument to reporters yesterday, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago documented.
Chris Paul, a free agent next summer, had been privately griping about Blake Griffin's play, but has ceased doing so amid an eight-game winning streak for the Clippers, Lawrence writes.

Western Notes: Lakers, Freeland, Blazers, Love

December 15th, 2012 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

Notes out of the Western Conference..

Lakers fans are clearly frustrated with how the season has gone so far, but they should be grateful that they have Dwight Howard in the lineup rather than the sidelined Andrew Bynum, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers will take on the Bynum-less Sixers on Sunday evening.
Joel Freeland‘s camp told HoopsHype (via Twitter) that they are unhappy with his assignment to the D-League by the Blazers. Agent Rafa Calvo pointed out that Freeland has been one of the top big men in EuroLeague for three years and doesn’t need the extra time to adjust to the NBA. Despite that, Calvo says he and his client are trying to stay positive about the situation.
Paul Ladewski of Sheridan Hoops wonders if the T’Wolves have a strong trading partner in the Bulls if they wind up moving Kevin Love. The Timberwolves might have an interest in power forward Nikola Mirotic who is widely considered to be the best player in Europe right now.

Lakers Rumors: Gasol, Bell, D’Antoni, Jackson

December 14th, 2012 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

As I suggested in yesterday's round-up of Lakers links, a loss last night in New York wouldn't have been the end of the world, but a loss tonight in Washington? If that happens, sound the alarm bells. As L.A. looks to snap its four-game losing streak, let's browse a few Lakers rumors….

Multiple sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that if Pau Gasol still struggles to find a fit with the Lakers once Steve Nash has returned, the team would be willing to explore dealing him for a younger, more athletic forward and bench help.
With Wojnarowski's piece, the Yahoo! scribe also says the Lakers have put their pursuit of Raja Bell on held as they realize that point guard is a more pressing concern. The Bulls are willing to commit to Bell on a non-guaranteed deal, says Wojnarowski, but that hasn't motivated the veteran forward to finalize a buyout with the Jazz.
Kobe Bryant doesn't blame the Lakers' struggles on new coach Mike D'Antoni, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes. "It’s not fair. He’s been thrown into a situation," Bryant said. "It’s been a huge adjustment for all of us. And we’ve been asked to figure it out with some key pieces that are out. When they come back we’ll get this thing locked and loaded."
Lakers fans still holding out hope for Phil Jackson probably shouldn't hold their breath, as Jackson tells TMZ.com that he wouldn't take the job if it were offered to him.

Odds & Ends: Terry, Mayo, Belinelli, Crawford

December 11th, 2012 at 11:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

We heard earlier today that Mavs owner Mark Cuban would have liked to have kept Jason Terry, who signed with the Celtics. Terry said he was disappointed that the first call he fielded this summer wasn't from the Mavs, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Cuban also claims that he vetoed a deal former Mavs coach Don Nelson had set up during the 2004/05 season that would have sent Terry to the Jazz for Raul Lopez, Price notes. That one seems far-fetched, but if it's true, you'd have to give Cuban credit for quite a save. Here's the rest from a busy day and night in the NBA.

O.J. Mayo can opt out of his contract this summer, but Cuban hopes he'll stay with the Mavs even longer than the eight years Terry was around, Price tweets.
Chris Paul and former Hornets teammate Marco Belinelli are close friends, but Paul didn't recruit Belinelli to join the Clippers this summer because he thought the Bulls would be a better fit for the Italian sharpshooter, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune observes (Sulia link).
The Bulls went hard after Jamal Crawford before last season, but wound up giving the money they had set aside for him to Richard Hamilton instead, according to Johnson (Sulia link).
Though Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was telling reporters Monday that coach Dwane Casey's job is not in jeopardy, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun wonders whether that will be Colangelo's call to make, surmising everyone in the organization except Jonas Valanciunas shouldn't get too cozy.
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times corrects his earlier statement about the draft pick the Lakers owe the Suns, detailing the protections on that and other draft picks that will prevent L.A. from drafting in the first round next June.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News gauges the early returns on the rookie-scale extensions handed out before the season, and believes Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and DeMar DeRozan are the steals of the bunch.
SB Nation's Tom Ziller goes in depth on the Maloof family dynamics at play as the fate of the Kings, the team they own, hangs in the balance.

Eastern Notes: Bynum, Blatche, Wizards, Scott

December 11th, 2012 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Andrew Bynum's comments yesterday, in which he suggested he could miss another month, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says league sources wonder if Bynum's prolonged rehab is about trying to get healthy for his upcoming free agency. However, 76ers sources tell Kyler that if the team remains in the hunt and Bynum returns at some point in January, they're okay with the wait.

Here are a few more Tuesday notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Andray Blatche and the Nets are both reaping the benefits of Brooklyn's willingness to bring the ex-Wizard aboard on a minimum-salary deal, writes ESPN.com's David Thorpe in an Insider-only piece.
Despite working out a couple point guards over the weekend, the Wizards are staying the course and not adding anyone to the roster for now, according to Gene Wang of the Washington Post. "We’re looking at different scenarios," coach Randy Wittman said. "Obviously brought a couple guys in [on Sunday], looked at, and we’re still, we haven’t done anything. Don’t know when or if we will do anything, but we’re looking at different scenarios, different options, different people. We’re not going to make a snap quick judgment. There’s not a guy out there right now that warrants that, so we’re going to take our time and look at some different guys and see what best fits us moving forward."
With the Bakersfield Jam not scheduled to play their next game until Friday, the Hawks are set to recall Mike Scott from their D-League affiliate, says Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
While one school of thought suggests the Bulls shouldn't bring Derrick Rose back from his ACL injury until the 2013/14 season, Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times explains why that would be playing it too safe.