Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Zach LaVine Looking Forward To Unrestricted Free Agency

February 19th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls‘ emergence as a playoff contender should benefit Zach LaVine, who is headed for unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. LaVine hasn’t reached the postseason in his first seven years in the NBA, but he will have an opportunity on a big stage before free agency arrives.

“Free agency is gonna be a big milestone for me,” LaVine said. “It’s my first time going into it really being [an] unrestricted free agent. I dealt with it being restricted before, so it’s a whole new experience. I’m excited for the season with the Bulls. But you know, moving forward, it’s gonna be a whole new experience for me.”

LaVine’s first big payday came as a restricted free agent in 2018 when the Kings gave him a four-year, $78MM offer sheet. Chicago opted to match it, even though LaVine wasn’t far removed from ACL surgery, and he has turned into an elite scorer with All-Star appearances the past two seasons.

LaVine is putting up big numbers again, averaging 24.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 47 games. His scoring has declined from last season, but the Bulls have more options with the offseason additions of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.

LaVine is preparing to land the largest contract of his career when free agency arrives. He’s eligible for a five-year deal around $200MM if he re-signs with the Bulls, and possibly even more if he makes an All-NBA team.

“I think we all get what we deserve at the level we play at, for our team and around the league. I think I stack up with everybody at that level,” he said. “We’ll let the chips fall. Is the [max] the goal? I don’t know if it’s the goal, but I should be getting what I deserve. I’ll let them tell me what that is and we’ll go from there.”

Central Notes: DeRozan, Okoro, Thompson, LaVine

February 19th, 2022 at 3:57pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls star DeMar DeRozan endorsed the team’s signing of veteran center Tristan Thompson, as relayed by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Thompson agreed to a buyout with the Pacers on Thursday and is expected to sign with Chicago in the near future.

“[I’ve] known Tristan for years,” DeRozan said. “Great dude. Championship experience. Good friend of mine. Got the utmost respect for him off the court. Obviously, we all know what he brings on the court. Think it will be great addition for us. Veteran leadership.”

Thompson carries 11 years of NBA experience, which includes an NBA title with the Cavaliers in 2016. He’s expected to provide depth behind star center Nikola Vucevic for the rest of the campaign. In 34 games this season with Sacramento and Indiana, he’s averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, playing 15.3 minutes per contest.

There’s more from the Central Division tonight:

Cavaliers swingman Isaac Okoro believes he’s one of the best rising players in the league, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Okoro has averaged 9.0 points per game on 46% shooting during his second season with the team. “I’m grateful to be one of the top rising young players right now,” Okoro said. “I felt that last year. Throughout the whole season, felt like I was one of the Rising Stars in this league. I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work for our team and it’s showing. Just taking in the experience. I’m blessed to be here and I’m just soaking everything in.”
Tristan Thompson gave up $774,289 in his buyout with the Pacers, which is roughly what he’ll receive in his new deal with Chicago, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter). Thompson only appeared in four games with Indiana before the buyout.
Bulls star Zach LaVine feels “great” after visiting a knee specialist, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. As Schaefer notes in his Twitter thread, LaVine had his knee drained and received PRP and cortisone injections. “It’ll get me through the end of the season, and then in the offseason I’ll be able to take care of it and get myself to 100 percent,” he said.

Bucks “Aggressive” In Pursuit Of Goran Dragic

February 18th, 2022 at 8:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on NBA Today (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Bucks have been “aggressive” in their pursuit of Goran Dragic, who reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs on Tuesday.

Dragic has been spending the week speaking to interested teams, and Wojnarowski calls the Bucks the “foremost” team on Dragic’s list. The defending champions find themselves with a hole in the backcourt after trading Donte DiVincenzo to the Kings and losing Pat Connaughton for approximately four weeks after surgery to repair his broken right ring finger.

Milwaukee’s brass, including GM Jon Horst and head coach Mike Budenholzer, has been pitching Dragic on the opportunity to play meaningful minutes and a “pretty significant role,” says Wojnarowski.

However, he notes that the Bulls, Clippers, Nets, and Lakers remain interested in the former All-Star guard. Woj thinks Dragic is getting closer to making a decision on his next team.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein tweets that the Warriors are also in the mix for Dragic, but notably did not include the Lakers on his list of teams vying for Dragic’s services.

Pacers Waive Tristan Thompson, Who Plans To Join Bulls

February 17th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 17: The Pacers have officially waived Thompson, according to a team press release.

FEBRUARY 16: The Pacers will waive veteran center Tristan Thompson, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Thompson intends to sign with the Bulls once he clears waivers, Charania adds.

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the upcoming move, which will be made on Thursday, in a session with the media after tonight’s game (video link from Alex Golden).

“We thanked him for what he has brought over the last six or seven days,” Carlisle said. “He brought a high level of professionalism and he’s done a really good job.”

The 30-year-old Thompson was acquired last week in a six-player trade with the Kings. He appeared in four games for the Pacers, including tonight when he posted 17 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.

Thompson is making $9.72MM this season and the Pacers will keep that cap hit on their books once he clears waivers — if a buyout is involved, that charge will be lowered slightly.

The Bulls have a full roster, so another move will be necessary before Thompson can be added. Indiana’s roster is also full, so one opening will be available once he is released.

Chicago was among the teams mentioned as a potential landing spot for Thompson amid speculation over a possible buyout during the past week. The Lakers were also rumored to be interested.

Poll: Which Team Will Win Eastern Conference?

February 17th, 2022 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

With the All-Star break set to begin after tonight’s games, it’s as good a time as any to check in on the NBA’s playoff race and assess which teams are best positioned to finish the season strong and make a deep postseason run.

We’ll start today with the Eastern Conference, which is more competitive in 2021/22 than it has been in years.

No team has been able to pull away from the pack in the East so far, with the 38-21 Bulls currently hanging onto the No. 1 seed by a half-game. If the season were to end today, Chicago’s .644 winning percentage would be the lowest mark for a conference’s top seed since Detroit went 50-32 (.610) in 2002/03.

However, while the East may lack a dominant team, the conference makes up for it in depth. The top five seeds are all within three games of one another, and the top eight seeds are all at least four games over .500 — the same certainly can’t be said of the West, where the 29-31 Clippers are in the No. 8 spot.

The parity in the Eastern Conference has created a fascinating playoff landscape. Instead of having one or two clear-cut favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, the East has at least five or six teams that could realistically make it.

The aforementioned Bulls have the East’s best record despite having dealt with injuries and COVID-related absences to key players all season long. If they’re healthy in time for the postseason, they’ll be an incredibly tough out, especially with DeMar DeRozan shooting the lights out like he has lately.

The 37-21 Heat have also been affected by injuries, but have been dangerous when healthy. Their preferred starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and P.J. Tucker has a +13.5 net rating for the season.

The Bucks (36-23) are the defending champions, having proven in last year’s playoffs that they can win big games and big series. The upstart Cavaliers (35-23) are on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of postseason experience, but have one of the NBA’s best defenses and added some more offensive firepower at the deadline by acquiring Caris LeVert.

Further down the standings, the Sixers (34-23) and Nets (31-27) made themselves legitimate title threats by completing a deadline-day trade to acquire stars who actually want to play for them. James Harden is expected to make his Philadelphia debut after the All-Star break, while Ben Simmons will play at some point for the Nets, who will also be getting Kevin Durant back in the coming weeks.

The Celtics (34-26) and Raptors (32-25) were out of the East’s playoff picture earlier this season, but have been two of the conference’s hottest teams as of late. Boston’s +5.4 net rating and 104.9 defensive rating both rank first in the conference, while Toronto’s length and defensive versatility has created problems for many of its opponents — the Raps have a 6-3 record against the East’s current top three seeds.

Of course, the Hornets (29-30), the Hawks (28-30), and a couple others teams remain in the mix for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, but unless Atlanta can replicate its late-season success from a year ago, a spot in the NBA Finals is an extreme long shot for any of those clubs.

What do you think? Who’s your current pick to come out of the Eastern Conference? How many teams in the wide-open East do you think have a realistic chance to make the NBA Finals?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Caruso, DeRozan, Dosunmu

February 16th, 2022 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach LaVine was encouraged by his visit to a knee specialist, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters that LaVine’s appointment went “very well” and some “swelling was taken out of his knee.” The doctor gave him a lubricant to put on his sore left knee and cleared him for activity within 48 hours.

LaVine will be able to attend All-Star Weekend, Johnson adds, although no determination has been made on whether he will play in the game or participate in the three-point contest. The team’s medical staff will meet with LaVine to determine whether he will be on a minutes limit when he returns after the break.

“The doctors feel totally fine about him resuming playing,” Donovan said (Twitter link).

There’s more from Chicago:

Donovan also offered an update on injured guard Alex Caruso, who is expected to begin dribbling and shooting in seven to 10 days, Johnson adds (via Twitter). Caruso had wrist surgery on January 24 and was projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
In an interview with Tyler R. Tines of GQ Magazine, DeMar DeRozan talks about being overwhelmed with sadness when he was traded in 2018 after nine years in Toronto. The deal was ultimately beneficial for DeRozan, who learned to refine his game during three years with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Former USC teammate Nikola Vucevic approached him during a game last season and urged him to come to the Bulls in free agency, and DeRozan said it was an easy decision after his summer meeting with general manager Marc Eversley. “He knew everything about me basketball-wise,” DeRozan said. “He understood how I could fit in and they wanted to allow me to be myself.”
Ayo Dosunmu‘s college coach isn’t surprised to see him make an impact in the NBA so quickly, per Steve Greenberg of The Chicago Sun-Times. Dosunmu wasn’t selected until the 38th pick in last year’s draft, but he has become part of the Bulls’ rotation and earned a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge. “It’s hard to describe Ayo,” said Illinois coach Brad Underwood, “because I just say ‘winner’ and there’s nothing that gets in the way of that. But I also felt like he would be better suited to the NBA game because the paint opens up, his speed becomes more of a factor, his passing in space becomes easier. And I think he’s really, really effective because he’s got two, maybe three superstar-type guys around him, and that elevates his game. And he guards. And he’s tougher than hell.”

Central Notes: Ibaka, Bucks, LaVine, Pacers, Bagley

February 15th, 2022 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the decision to acquire Serge Ibaka at the trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst referred to the big man as “one of our top targets,” explaining that Ibaka will help the team become more versatile defensively, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I think our rebounding and our toughness and our presence at the rim is a little bit of our identity and our calling card, so adding players to that – kind of independent of how big they are – is always going to be something we’re going to try to do,” Horst said. “Last year, we did it in a 6’6″, 6’7” P.J. Tucker package. Now this year we did it in a 6’10” Serge Ibaka package.

“I see this as a similar move to P.J., having a chance to have a similar impact. I don’t know that Serge will guard the ones and the twos the way that P.J. Tucker did, but I think Serge can guard the fours and the fives in a different way than what P.J. Tucker did. So, it’s just versatility. We want to find the best seven, eight, nine guys who can play meaningful playoff minutes and our roster is so versatile, I think we can kind of do it in different ways.”

The Bucks, who came out of the deadline with three open spots on their 15-man roster, found themselves a little shorthanded on the wing and will reportedly bring in DeAndre’ Bembry as its 13th man. However, as Nehm relays, Horst said the club isn’t focused on specific positions to fill its 14th and 15th spots, and will target players who are the best fit from a talent and culture perspective.

“It could be guard help. It could be big help,” Horst said. “You know we’re always looking for shooting, we’re always looking for experience and toughness, defensive versatility, a lot of the things that Serge gave us in this move, I think we’ll look for more of that, but positionally, I’m really less worried about what that means positionally. I just think we’re really balanced and really deep.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan confirmed on Monday that Zach LaVine will be out at least through the All-Star break, noting the guard’s his visit to a knee specialist in Los Angeles will take place on Tuesday, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Donovan suggested that the Bulls will have a better idea of the plan for LaVine after today’s evaluation.
Praising Kevin Pritchard for his impressive trade history, Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star argues that the Pacers ought to give their president of basketball operations a contract extension. Doyel thinks Pritchard may be in the final year of his current deal, though he acknowledges he’s not sure about that.
Pacers forward Oshae Brissett began the season on a non-guaranteed contract without a regular rotation role, but he has made impressive strides and shouldn’t be overlooked in conversations about the team’s young talent, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Brissett, whose contract includes a minimum-salary team option for 2022/23, established new season highs with 22 points and 13 rebounds against Minnesota on Sunday.
Marvin Bagley III made a strong impression in his Pistons debut on Monday, putting up 10 points and eight rebounds in just over 20 minutes in his first game since January 29, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “His timing’s off a little bit, understandably, but he has an advantage in the post with his length and his ability to score around the basket. I really like that,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “And first play down the floor, he took a charge. I love that. He’s a little rusty, but I like the way he plays.”

Spurs Buy Out Goran Dragic

February 15th, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

9:53am: The Spurs have officially waived Dragic (Twitter link via Paul Garcia of Project Spurs). As noted below, he’ll clear waivers and become a free agent on Thursday.

8:30am: The Spurs and point guard Goran Dragic have reached a buyout agreement, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Assuming Dragic is officially released today and clears waivers – which is a near-certainty due to his $19.4MM cap hit – he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday. At that point, he’d be free to sign with any team except the Raptors — NBA rules prohibit a team from re-signing a player it traded earlier in the league year if that player is cut by his new team.

Charania doesn’t identify any specific suitors for Dragic, but says “a slew” of teams are expected to pursue the playoff-tested veteran.

Previously, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named the Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Bulls, and Nets as clubs expected to show interest in Dragic. Wojnarowski later said that Milwaukee, in particular, is expected to aggressively pursue the 35-year-old.

The Mavericks were viewed at one point as a potential frontrunner for Dragic, but acquired Spencer Dinwiddie at the trade deadline and are no longer believed to be in the market for a point guard. General manager Nico Harrison said last week that he thinks Dallas’ roster is “set.”

The Heat, meanwhile, are no longer ineligible to reacquire Dragic, since he was traded for a second time after Miami moved him in August. The guard has been working out in Miami for much of the season and the Heat have two open roster spots, so a reunion seems plausible, even though the club wasn’t mentioned by Wojnarowski over the weekend as a likely suitor.

Dragic averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.4 RPG on .432/.373/.828 shooting in 50 games (26.7 MPG) for the Heat in 2020/21. However, he appeared in just five games for the Raptors this season after being sent to Toronto as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.

Dragic hasn’t played since November, having taken a personal leave of absence from the Raptors up until he was traded to San Antonio at last week’s deadline.

LaVine Didn't Mind Front Office Standing Pat

February 14th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls were among the teams interested in trading for Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson prior to the deadline, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. The Bulls viewed Robinson as a defensive center to back up offensively-skilled Nikola Vucevic for an extended playoff run, Berman adds. The Pistons were also among the teams who inquired about Robinson.
The Bulls didn’t make a significant move before the deadline and that’s fine with Zach LaVine, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “They’re going to go out there and try to improve the team any way they can, you can’t get mad at that,” LaVine said. “It’s our job to come out here with the guys that we have, and when we were healthy, we were showing that we were always at the top and one of the best teams in the NBA. I think that’s what we’re hanging our hat on. When we get healthy, we’ll get back to what we do.” That’s a big if, now that LaVine is getting his ailing left knee re-examined this week.

Luka Doncic, DeMar DeRozan Named Players Of The Week

February 14th, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Surprisingly, it’s the first time this season that Doncic has been named a Player of the Week. He left no doubt that he deserved the honor, averaging an eye-popping 43.0 PPG in three games between February 7-13. He put up a shooting line of .532/.500/.707 in those three contests, chipping in 10.3 RPG and 8.3 APG.

Doncic scored an incredible 96 points in two games vs. the Clippers, though Dallas couldn’t pull out a win on Saturday vs. Los Angeles despite his 45 points and 15 rebounds. The Mavericks had a 2-1 week.

DeRozan, meanwhile, became the first player in either conference to win a Player of the Week award for a third time in 2021/22. He led the Bulls to a 3-1 week, averaging 36.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.8 APG on .598/.429/.829 shooting in 37.8 MPG. Chicago’s only loss of the week was a nail-biter against Phoenix last Monday.

Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant, Dejounte Murray, and Anfernee Simons were the other Western Conference nominees for this week’s award. In the East, DeRozan beat out fellow nominees Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Joel Embiid, LaMelo Ball, Pascal Siakam, and Jayson Tatum (Twitter link).