Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Rumors: Pargo, White, Allen, Gibson

September 21st, 2012 at 10:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls find themselves in a pickle as training camp approaches, with a $73.55MM payroll that bumps up against a hard cap of $74.3MM invoked when they exceeded the taxpayer's mid-level exception to sign Kirk Hinrich. That gives them enough room for a rookie on a minimum-salary deal of $473,604, and they might be able to squeeze in a one-year vet at the $762,195 minimum, depending on the accuracy of their reported salaries. Aside from that, they'll have to get rid of one of their contracts to add anyone else to the regular season roster. The team could swing a trade or waive Nate Robinson and his partially guaranteed contract to find a place for Andre Emmett, a player with two years of experience who'll be in training camp on a non-guaranteed deal. Still, the team appears to continue to look around for additional free agent help, as Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com chronicles.

Sam hears that free agents Jannero Pargo, D.J. White and Ryan Allen are joining many of the Bulls for voluntary workouts in Chicago leading up to the opening of camp. Allen is the brother of Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, and is a native of Chicago. Pargo is having discussions with a few NBA teams, as we heard yesterday, and White is reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams overseas.
Taj Gibson indicated earlier this month that talks were under way about an extension, and agent Mark Bartelstein confirms that to Sam. "It's something we've been talking about for a while," Bartelstein said. "(GM) Gar (Forman) and I have been putting a lot of work in. Taj would love to be a Bull for a long time, there's no question about that."
The Bulls place a high value on Gibson and privately "acknowledge he's a keeper," Sam writes, but the presence of Carlos Boozer, who has three years and $47.1MM left on his contract, at his position complicates matters. The Bulls have an October 31st deadline to extend Gibson and keep him from becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Bulls To Sign Andre Emmett

September 21st, 2012 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have agreed to sign Andre Emmett to a make-good contract, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Sulia link). Emmett will get an invite to Chicago's training camp with a chance to earn a roster spot for the regular season.

Emmett, a second-round pick in 2004, went seven seasons between NBA games, appearing in eight contests in 2004/05 and then not seeing his next NBA action until 2011/12 with the Nets. The 30-year-old earned a little playing time in New Jersey last season, averaging 2.2 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 7.5 MPG over the course of six contests.

Since the Bulls only have 13 contracts on their books prior to finalizing their agreement with Emmett, the Texas Tech product would appear to have a good opportunity to make the team. However, the club's cap situation may hurt his chances — the Bulls are hard-capped at about $74.3MM and can't exceed that number at any point.

If Emmett signs a non-guaranteed summer contract, his cap hit won't count against team salary unless he makes the regular-season roster. But since Chicago's team salary is already $73.55MM, the club would have to make an additional move to clear room for his salary under the hard cap.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Thibodeau, Heat, Miles

September 20th, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates from around the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks are looking to sign a veteran two guard with NBA experience as insurance while Ronnie Brewer gets healthy, tweets Tommy Dee of The Knicks Blog. One candidate that pops to mind is Tracy McGrady, who worked out for the Knicks last week.
Appearing on the Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN Radio, Charles Barkley spoke highly of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, saying he doesn't understand why the Bulls haven't extended him yet (link via ESPNChicago.com).
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discusses new Heat big man Josh Harrellson, and addresses the reasons why Miami didn't sign Hassan Whiteside.
Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com spoke to new Cavalier C.J. Miles about adjusting to Cleveland and his motivation for signing with the Cavs.
Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is the latest to argue that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire aren't a good fit on the floor together in New York, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.

Free Agent Rumors: Oguchi, Howard, Tucker

September 18th, 2012 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Over two and a half months since 2012's free agent period began, a number of players are still seeking contracts with NBA teams, even if those deals are just non-guaranteed camp invites. Here's the latest updates on a few of the players still on the market:

Nigerian swingman Chamberlain Oguchi, who was said last month to be drawing NBA interest, has been updating his Twitter account with news on his workouts. Oguchi has worked out for the Spurs and Heat, and recently had a second workout with Miami, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (Sulia link). According to George Akpayen of SuperSport.com, Oguchi could be nearing an agreement with the Heat on a non-guaranteed contract.
The Heat also haven't ruled out a camp invite for Juwan Howard, who continues to work out with the team, says Winderman (Sulia link).
Former first-round pick Alando Tucker is working out with the Bucks today and tomorrow, according to Tucker's Twitter feed (hat tip to Sportando).
Agent Tyler Glass tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) that free agent guard Lester Hudson was dropped by his agency after failing to show up for a workout with the Bobcats.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports shares an interesting new detail on a free agent contract signed earlier this offseason: Nate Robinson's deal with the Bulls isn't fully guaranteed, tweets Deeks. In a second tweet, Deeks explains that $400K is guaranteed, with Robinson receiving his full salary if he's not waived by January 1st.

Derrick Rose On Rehab, Bulls’ Offseason

September 13th, 2012 at 5:57pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press (via the Star Tribune) hears that Derrick Rose's surgically repaired knee is getting better and that he has been able to start jumping just "a couple of days ago." The Bulls guard recently unveiled his new sneaker and apparel line with Adidas, where both he and his older brother Reggie later spoke glowingly about his progression this summer. On a related note, Adam Fluck of Bulls.com recently caught up with the former MVP to ask him about his recovery and thoughts on the Chicago's acquisitions this offseason. Here are more highlights from the interview..

On the overall development of his rehab:

“I got through the hard part I think…At first, I couldn’t believe it at all. But now, I have a lot of confidence in myself…I appreciate everything—bending my leg, getting rid of my crutches and braces, sleeping without the brace..I could go on and on, but I know where I’ve come from and I’ll never forget that. That’s why I say it’s going to make me a better player…My rehab is good, my leg is getting a lot stronger and I’m able to run a little bit more. My body is feeling good. I’m in a peaceful place right now.”

"I don’t know what to expect (when I return), I just know it’s going to be something good. It won’t just surprise you; it’s going to surprise me as well.”

On the Bulls re-acquiring Kirk Hinrich:

"…knowing what kind of player he is, as well as the type of person that he is—he’s a guy who wants to win. You’ve got to go with that, if anything. I’m the same way where I want to win at everything. So I know that I’m going to have somebody back there who is going to be fighting with me.”

Regarding the large influx of new reserves and the departure of many teammates:

“I’m going to miss those guys knowing what we went through those two years together…We were the ones that helped build this Bulls image—we played hard. For them to be gone, I’ll definitely miss them, but it’s the league and things change. We’ve got to work with the guys that we have now. We’re still young, we’re hungry and we want to win. I’m with my teammates no matter what.”

Amick On Martin, Fisher, Fesenko, Williams

September 12th, 2012 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to reporting that Matt Barnes is closing in on a deal with the Clippers, SI.com's Sam Amick shared updates on a handful of other free agents in his latest piece. Let's dive in and round up a few highlights from the SI.com scribe:

Most, if not all, of the teams interested in Kenyon Martin only have interest at the veteran's minimum. The Lakers and Celtics were among the teams in play earlier in the offseason, but now Amick wonders if Martin will wait until midseason or even retire if he doesn't find a situation he likes.
Derek Fisher may be in the same boat as Martin, with retirement or signing halfway through the season both potentially in play. Fisher turned down an offer from the Bulls before Chicago signed Nate Robinson, and the chances of the veteran point guard returning to the Thunder are "remote."
Kyrylo Fesenko is scheduled to work out with the Spurs next week, and may work out for the Cavaliers after that. The Hawks and Heat have also been in touch with the big man.
The Pistons will work out Terrence Williams this week. The Mavericks and Celtics are also believed to have interest in Williams.

International Rumors: Okur, Mirotic, Owens, Uzoh

September 10th, 2012 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

At various points during the offseason, Mehmet Okur has been linked to the Timberwolves and other clubs, but the reports usually point to the same roadblock: Okur is seeking more than the minimum salary. It's possible some NBA team makes Okur an offer worth more than the minimum, but it appears he may have a better chance at that kind of money overseas. TrendBasket.net passes along a Turkish report suggesting that Galatasaray Medical Park of Turkey is interested in Okur, and could potentially offer him $2-3MM per year. Here are a few more of the morning's international notes and rumors:

Nikola Mirotic tells Enric Corbella of Marca.com (English link via HoopsWorld) that the Bulls know his situation with Real Madrid and respect his contract. Mirotic, the 23rd overall pick in 2011, has a number of years left on his contract in Spain, but will have the opportunity to opt out and join the Bulls before it ends.
Two players that received 10-day contracts in 2011/12 may be on the verge of leaving their French teams. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along French reports suggesting that Gravelines may part ways with Larry Owens, and that Ben Uzoh's time with Cholet may be nearly over.
Unicaja Malaga coach Jasmin Repesa said that his team would love to add Bojan Bogdanovic, who is under contract for two more years with Fenerbahce (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Bogdanovic was drafted with the 31st overall pick in 2011's draft, with his NBA rights now held by the Nets.

Scalabrine Turns Down Bulls Coaching Job

September 6th, 2012 at 11:40am CST by Alex Lee

SEPTEMBER 6TH: Scalabrine has turned down an offer to coach on the Bulls' staff, instead opting to call Celtics games for Comcast Sports New England this season, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Scalabrine tells Wojnarowski that he hasn't officially retired as a player, but admits he received "zero" interest from NBA teams this summer. The 34-year-old also hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing overseas later in the season (Twitter links).

AUGUST 28TH: We heard earlier this month that 34-year-old free agent Brian Scalabrine, who spent the last two seasons with the Bulls, was desperate to continue his NBA playing career. It would appear that he has not received the type of interest he was hoping for, as CSN Chicago's Aggrey Sam is reporting (via Twitter) that Scalabrine is close to returning to the Bulls as a coach.

Scalabrine had opportunities to play in Europe and an offer to do some TV work for the Celtics, but the 11-year veteran appears to prefer a chance to get into coaching, something he has expressed interest in before. Scalabrine saw his playing time drop drastically as a member of the Bulls, where he averaged less than five minutes per game. It would appear, however, that Scalabrine's veteran prensence was enough to convince head coach Tom Thibodeau to bring him aboard.

Scalabrine would take the place of Rick Brunson on Thibodeau's staff. Brunson joined the Bobcats bench earlier this offseason.

Tom Thibodeau, Bulls Resume Extension Talks

September 5th, 2012 at 6:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Bulls elected to pick up coach Tom Thibodeau's contract option for 2012/13 rather than working out a long-term deal, the two sides have resumed talking about an extension, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

While general manager Gar Forman has maintained that the Bulls have intended all along to lock Thibodeau up to a long-term extension, negotiations between the team and coach seemed to stall earlier in the summer. That was after a report surfaced in April suggesting that Thibodeau was unhappy with his contract situation, a story that both Thibodeau and Forman denied.

Thibodeau certainly seems to have proven worthy of a contract extension, leading the Bulls to a 50-16 record in 2011/12, best in the Eastern Conference, despite not having a healthy Derrick Rose for a good part of the season. Current Celtics coach Doc Rivers and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, who both had Thibodeau on their staffs at some point, have expressed a desire to see the Bulls coach sign an extension to remain in Chicago.

Bulls Remain In Mix For Anthony Tolliver

September 4th, 2012 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

When we got our last update on Anthony Tolliver last Monday, the free agent forward was said to be in "constant contact" with four teams: the Hawks, Wizards, Pacers, and Timberwolves. Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida reports (via Twitter) that those four clubs are still in play for Tolliver, and adds the Bulls to the mix as well.

The Bulls were previously linked to Tolliver this offseason, but it appeared the team had essentially removed itself from consideration as it approached the hard cap of $74.3MM. If they're still in on Tolliver, as Tomasson suggests, the Bulls would not only have to clear a little salary from their books to make room for him; they'd also have to sign the the 27-year-old to a minimum-salary deal, since they used most of their mid-level exception on Kirk Hinrich and their bi-annual exception on Marco Belinelli.

Since agent Larry Fox has indicated that his client isn't "in the minimum game," and the Bulls have no obvious way of clearing salary, it seems like a long shot that Chicago lands Tolliver. The T-Wolves would also have to move salary to sign Tolliver for more than the minimum, so the Hawks, Pacers, and Wizards would appear to be better bets. The Hawks have their $1.957MM BAE to work with, the Pacers have their $2.575MM room exception, and the Wizards still have over $3MM of their mid-level left.