Derrick Rose Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Links: Bulls, Cavs, McMillan

July 13th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson spent some time with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau today, and the coach provided him some insights into the the team's offseason plans–including the signing of the Bucks' Mike Dunleavy.

Of Dunleavy, Thibs said that he complements Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer "extremely well," and "he moves well with the ball. We think he's a great fit" (Twitter link). Speaking of Rose, whom Thibodeau gushed about last month, the Bulls coach continued to praise his star's progress to Johnson via Twitter. According to Thibs, the summer has given Rose even more time to build his confidence and his leg strength, finally adding "He looks great."

Johnson's conversation with Thibodeau failed to touch on the relationship between Bulls general manager Gar Forman (Twitter link) and former assistant Ron Adams, who the Celtics may be looking to add to their bench.

Here's what else is happening around the Central division tonight…

Racine Journal Times columnist Gery Woelfel relays the same Thibodeau thoughts on Dunleavy and adds, via Twitter, that the Bulls got a strong endorsement for Dunleavy from his former college coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
The Cavs appeared to have an excess of front court players after drafting Anthony Bennett with the number one pick and signing Andrew Bynum. That's the roster question the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers in her Saturday night mailbag.
Cavs GM Chris Grant says he's been high on free agent signee Jarrett Jack ever since the guard came out of college. That's when Grant, then a member of the Hawks’ front office, was part of an unsuccessful effort to trade up to select Jack. Bob Finnan of the News-Herald provides details via Sulia.
Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines that the Cavs’ recent draft picks and free agent signings allow them more flexibility and options.
Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star suggests the Pacers’ biggest off-season move may have been hiring Nate McMillan as an assistant coach.

Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd

June 13th, 2013 at 9:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):

"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."

Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.

Central Notes: Bulls, Pistons, Cavs, Oladipo

May 18th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Bulls' season is done, despite gritting out a tough run of injuries–not to mention their season-long absence of 2011 MVP, Derrick Rose—to defeat the Nets and advance to the second round. Even with Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and the aforementioned Rose out, and with Taj Gibson's knee bothering him, the Bulls pushed the Heat a lot more than many expected.

With the Bulls' season over, now is the time to plot for Rose's heralded return (a season later than expected), and decide whether to make a splash this offseason or hold firm and see what this year's tough group can do with a healthy and rested Rose.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune provides a primer on the state of the Bulls' guaranteed contracts next season, and with $72,044,288 earmarked for just eight players, the Bulls are hoping to find someone like Nate Robinson who can inject some offense without making more than the league minimum.
Paul Ladewski at SheridanHoops.com thinks the Bulls should go after Al Jefferson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz and Joe Cowley at the Chicago Sun Times bids adieu to important backcourt producers, Robinson and Marco Belinelli, who will likely sign with other teams this offseason when they become unrestricted free agents. The Bulls are expected to buy out Richard Hamilton's contract this summer, so they'll have a paucity of guards under contract for next season, and Cowley notes that Tom Thibodeau is looking for more outside shooting at the lowest cost they can find.
Indiana guard, Victor Oladipo, told Vincent Goodwell at the Detroit News he had his best team interview at the NBA pre draft combine on Friday with the Pistons. The Pistons love his defensive tenacity and motor, and Oladipo says he'd be a good fit for the "defensively oriented" team.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote in her mailbag the Cavs shouldn't look to acquire Paul Pierce this summer, but believes the team wants to win now and could be looking to add "significant veteran" to their younger squad using a collection of draft picks and money.
In another in a series of pre-draft columns, Mary Schmitt Boyer also looks at the pro prospects of Michigan point guard and NCAA Tournament hero, Trey Burke.

Bulls Links: Robinson, Korver, Brewer, Rose

May 16th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

One possible silver lining of the Chicago's elimination at the hands of the Heat is that it'll lead to an upswing in Bulls content on Hoops Rumors. Since the Bulls' Game Five loss, we've already heard that the team is expected to buy out Richard Hamilton this summer, and a number of other articles on Chicago's offseason have popped up since then. Here are a handful of them:

Acknowledging that there might be "limited space" for him, Nate Robinson says he'd love to return to the Bulls next season, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Presumably, Robinson isn't referring to limited roster spots, but rather the limited cap flexibility the Bulls have to offer him a raise.
In a separate piece, Friedell examines which players on the current roster will return to the Bulls next season, concluding that Robinson is probably gone. Friedell also expects the team to replace several bench players, and suggests that former Bulls and free-agents-to-be Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer could be good fits.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that the focus in Chicago this offseason will remain on Derrick Rose, while Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld shares his thoughts on how the circus surrounding Rose's possible return could have been avoided.
Scoop Jackson of ESPNChicago.com would like to see the Bulls' front office avoid making any major moves this summer, opting instead to bring back the current roster relatively intact.

Eastern Notes: Rose, Cavaliers, 76ers

May 4th, 2013 at 11:25pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Despite ongoing criticism directed at Derrick Rose for not returning to action yet after being medically cleared nearly two months ago, the Bulls superstar remains unfazed, primarily because he doesn't put himself in a position to hear about any of it, observes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. As for the theory that the "Rose camp" – whether it involves his brother Reggie, Adidas, or agent B.J. Armstrong – has decided to keep him out of action, Rose dispelled the notion, telling Cowley, “Who said that? If anything, it’s up to me…My brother and them can’t tell me what to do with my body. They give me control. I’m in control of the whole process. It’s really all on me.’’ Rose also mentions that he's still trying to prepare himself mentally for a return and downplayed the idea that the Bulls have put pressure on him to make haste on a comeback. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer provides a breakdown of the Cavaliers' key free agents and lists who he'd keep as well as let go.
Tom Moore of Philly Burbs thinks that landing a proven head coach for the 76ers will be challenging without a star or the ability to attract a big time free agent.
Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston writes that Doc Rivers' job will become infinitely more difficult without Kevin Garnett, who has been a vocal leader and loyal supporter of the nine-year Celtics coach.
Paul Pierce says that it will be up to GM Danny Ainge to determine whether or not Boston's core should be dismantled this summer, writes Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press.

Central Notes: Cavs, Scott, Maggette, Rose

April 8th, 2013 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

Last night, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving was asked if he'd be disappointed to see coach Byron Scott go and essentially issued a no comment. Scott is definitely on the hot seat as the season comes to a close, but will he survive? Here's more on that and other notes out of the Central..

Scott could be hanging on to his job with his fingertips, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (on Twitter). While many people are weighing in on whether Scott should keep his job, the only opinions that truly matter are those of Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. However, they're not saying anything publicly either. If they make a move, Finnan suggests that Nate McMillan and Stan Van Gundy would be strong candidates.
Tom Van Riper of Forbes released a list of the NBA's most overpaid players and ranked the Pistons' Corey Maggette sixth. Van Riper notes that Maggette has never played a full 82-game season in his 14-year career and even though he can score, he has career averages of 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 45% shooting. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony is at the very top of the list, which is especially surprising given his recent play.
Derrick Rose still isn't ruling out playing this season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The guard also says that playing on a minutes limit wouldn't bother him.

Central Notes: Scott, Frank, Rose, Pistons

April 6th, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Michael Pina

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mary Schmitt-Boyler answers e-mails from readers about the Cavaliers, specifically head coach Byron Scott and if he should be worried about losing his job.

David Mayo of MLive.com writes that Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank realizes his team's poor season could cause him to lose his job.
Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram gives his thoughts on Derrick Rose, and how the Bulls are handling their best player's return.
A few Pistons writers on MLive.com give their views on what the team should do with its personnel this summer.

Central Notes: George, Rose, Cavaliers

April 4th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Michael Pina

As the Bulls take the court in Brooklyn tonight, here's a quick look around the NBA's Central Division.

Pacers All-Star forward Paul George has been phenomenal on the defensive end all season long. Here he speaks with Indianapolis Star reporter Michael Pointer about how difficult it is to defend Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the game's premier scorer.
ESPNChicago.com's Nick Freidell gives the latest on whether Derrick Rose will return to action this season.
Bob Finnan, from The New-Herald, writes that Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson still has support for the team's head coach, Byron Scott.

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.

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).