Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mutual Interest Between Suns, Lonzo Ball?

January 31st, 2019 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

As Lonzo Ball‘s name continues to surface in Anthony Davis-related trade rumors, Ball’s camp maintains that New Orleans wouldn’t be a desirable destination for the point guard, per Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Ball’s camp has reportedly expressed a desire to end up on a team with a more glaring hole at point guard if he’s traded, and two sources tell Ganguli that there’s mutual interest between Ball and the Suns.

According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times, Ball and his representatives recognize that they don’t have any power to control his destination in a trade, but they’d like the Lakers to re-route him to a third team such as the Bulls, Knicks, or Suns if he’s included in a Davis package. It’s not clear if the Knicks would still a preferred destination after today’s trade agreement involving Dennis Smith Jr.

In any case, the Pelicans, apparently undeterred by Ball’s disinterest, continue to view him as a key piece in any deal with the Lakers for Davis, Turner writes. As we relayed earlier today, the Lakers sent New Orleans some potential trade scenarios for Davis, and one of those scenarios – according to Turner – included Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac, and a future first-round pick. Pelicans GM Dell Demps hasn’t gotten back to the Lakers yet about any of their hypothetical offers, says Turner.

As Turner writes, Ball has concerns about a potentially crowded backcourt in New Orleans and would rather end up with a team without an answer at point guard. The Suns, who have been on the lookout for a long-term point guard since at least the summer of 2018, certainly fit that bill. According to Turner, the Pelicans believe they fall into that group as well.

“Lonzo is going to be able to do whatever he wants to [in New Orleans],” Turner’s source said. “I think he thinks that Jrue [Holiday] is the starting point guard, but Jrue doesn’t want to be a point guard. Lonzo would be the starting point guard and he would play 35 minutes every night. There’s no way that he wouldn’t. If he wins in New Orleans, he’ll be as big of a star as he can be anywhere.”

Bulls Scouting Veteran Point Guards

January 31st, 2019 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have been scouting veteran point guards, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who reports that the team isn’t just eyeing potential trade targets for the deadline, but is looking ahead to 2019’s free agent market for some “fiscally responsible” options. Cowley names Ricky Rubio and Darren Collison as a couple veteran guards who appear to fit that bill.

Chicago has given Kris Dunn the reins at point guard since acquiring him in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster with the Timberwolves during the summer of 2017. However, the 24-year-old has just been okay for the Bulls so far. Injuries have limited Dunn to 78 games since the trade, in which he has averaged 13.0 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 4.2 RPG with a .433/.328/.752 shooting line.

One scout tells Cowley that there’s talk of Dunn needing to be pushed by a proven veteran to see if he’ll “sink or swim” in reaching another level and becoming the Bulls’ point guard of the future. The franchise will face a decision on Dunn’s long-term future fairly soon. He becomes eligible for an extension during the 2019 offseason and can become a restricted free agent in 2020 if he’s not extended.

According to Cowley, one option being considered for the rest of this season if the Bulls don’t acquire a point guard at the deadline is to promote Walter Lemon Jr. from the Windy City Bulls to the NBA squad. Cowley, who describes Lemon as a “tough-minded guard that backs down from no one,” suggests that the former Pelican would be given the opportunity to compete with Dunn for minutes.

The Bulls only have about $54MM in guaranteed salary committed to their books for the 2019/20 season. While that doesn’t include cap holds for their first-round pick or various free agents, including Bobby Portis, they should still have plenty of space available to pursue a point guard in the offseason.

Bulls Notes: Hutchison, Parker, Anthony, Dunn

January 27th, 2019 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Serious injuries have now affected nearly every key piece of the Bulls‘ rebuilding effort, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The latest casualty is rookie Chandler Hutchison, who will be sidelined until at least the All-Star break with an “acute injury” to his right foot.

He joins Lauri Markkanen, who missed the first 23 games of the season with a right elbow injury, Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis, who both had extended absences with knee issues, Denzel Valentine, who is out for the year after ankle surgery, and Wendell Carter Jr., who may miss the rest of the season after thumb surgery.

The timing of Hutchison’s injury is unfortunate because he had just moved into the starting lineup when the Bulls traded Justin Holiday to Memphis.

“You see the confidence Hutch is playing with and the growth he has had, the confidence Wendell was playing with and the growth he has had,” coach Jim Boylen said. “And you forget about Denzel coming into his third year ready to go, pumped, had a great summer. So it’s gut-wrenching. It’s painful for them individually and painful for the team. It’s tough.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Boylen has several options at small forward while Hutchison is out, Johnson adds in the same piece. Jabari Parker could be moved back into that spot or the team could try a smaller lineup with Wayne Selden or Shaquille Harrison. Regardless, Parker should see steady playing time after about a month of hardly leaving the bench. “The dude’s special,” Zach LaVine said of Parker. “He’s one of the only dudes on the team who has averaged 20 points per game in the NBA. He’s one of the most talented dudes on the team. I’m happy for him. It’s a tough situation, but he’s handling it well.”
Chicago acquired Carmelo Anthony this week, but the move came five years later than the organization would have liked, Johnson notes in a separate story. The Bulls were serious suitors for Anthony when he was a free agent in 2014, and Johnson speculates that he could have been the missing piece to make the Bulls title contenders.
Parker and Robin Lopez have dominated the trade deadline speculation in Chicago, but the most important decision may involve Dunn, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. The third-year point guard will become eligible for an extension this summer, and the Bulls have to decide soon whether he will be part of their future. Mayberry notes that the team recently scouted Murray State point guard Ja Morant, who now projects as a top five pick.

Chandler Hutchison Sidelined Until All-Star Break

January 26th, 2019 at 4:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls rookie Chandler Hutchison won’t play again until after the All-Star break because of an injury to his right foot, the team announced on its website.

Hutchison has been diagnosed with an acute injury to a sesamoid bone that he suffered in Wednesday’s game. He will wear a walking boot for the next two to four weeks, and his condition will be re-evaluated during the break.

The 22nd player taken in this year’s draft, Hutchison has appeared in 44 games, starting 14, and is averaging 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in about 20 minutes per night. His absence may open more playing time for Jabari Parker, whom the Bulls would like to trade before the February 7 deadline.

Clippers Rumors: Trade Deadline, Teodosic, Lopez

January 25th, 2019 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

As one of a handful of big-market teams looking to pursue top-tier free agents during the summer of 2019, the Clippers would prefer not to take on any 2019/20 money in deadline trades. However, as Johan Buva of The Athletic outlines, the team could be convinced to cut into its projected cap space if a multiyear deal provides too much value to pass up, as was the case with Lou Williams‘ three-year extension or Montrezl Harrell‘s two-year contract.

“It’s a lot that goes in it,” head coach Doc Rivers said of his team’s trade deadline plans. “It’s easier when you think you have a shot to win it. Then it’s an easy move. If there’s a move to make your team or put your team over the hump, those are easy. Where we’re at, you have to be very careful with anything you do because anything that puts money on your cap and all that, it’s probably a bad move in some ways. Unless you think it’s a longtime guy. Every team has their own stuff. It’s different for everyone.”

Despite a recent slump, the 26-22 Clippers remain very much in position to push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, holding the No. 8 seed for now. Los Angeles wants to make the postseason, according to Buva, who suggests a playoff berth would help prove to potential free agent targets that the club has the “players and infrastructure to build and support a contender.”

Still, the Clippers’ long-term goal is to build a roster capable of sustained success, so if there’s a move that would align with that goal, the team would be interested, per Buva — even if it means taking a step back in the short term.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

According to Buva, Milos Teodosic is a player to keep an eye on at the deadline, as the veteran point guard has hinted that he’s not thrilled with his role. The Clippers aren’t necessarily actively looking to move on from Teodosic, since they view him as an important insurance policy behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Patrick Beverley. However, if they find a suitable trade partner or Teodosic expresses interest in a buyout, that stance could change.
Outside of possibly Teodosic, the Clippers aren’t shopping any of their other players on expiring contracts, says Buva. That group includes Marcin Gortat, Mike Scott, Boban Marjanovic, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Beverley. Avery Bradley is also on a de facto expiring deal, with a $2MM partial guarantee for 2019/20.
While the Clippers aren’t targeting a specific position at the deadline, Buva suggests that center could be a spot to watch. League sources tell Buva that the Clippers inquired about Bulls center Robin Lopez, but talks didn’t advance.

NBA Players Who Can’t Be Aggregated In Trades

January 24th, 2019 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a rule that states players who are acquired using an exception (ie. not using cap space) can’t be aggregated in a second trade for two months after the original deal.

Aggregating a player in a trade refers to the act of combining his contract with another player’s contract for salary-matching purposes. For instance, an over-the-cap team can’t trade a player with a $5MM salary straight up for a player with a $13MM salary. But if the team aggregates that player with a second player who also earns $5MM, the deal would work.

The rule against including a player in an aggregated trade for two months after he’s acquired doesn’t preclude the player’s team from adding him to a multi-player deal. His salary simply can’t be relied upon for matching purposes in such a trade.

For instance, even if a player earning a minimum salary can’t be aggregated in a trade, his team could still attach him to a swap involving a pair of $10MM players, since his minimum-salary cap hit wouldn’t be needed for salary matching.

With those rules in mind, here’s the list of players who have been traded within the last two months and can’t be aggregated in a trade, at least for now:

Restrictions lifting January 29:

Alec Burks (Cavaliers)
Kyle Korver (Jazz)

Restrictions lifting February 7:

George Hill (Bucks)
Jason Smith (Bucks)
Sam Dekker (Wizards)
Matthew Dellavedova (Cavaliers)
John Henson (Cavaliers)

Restrictions not lifting before trade deadline:

Trevor Ariza (Wizards)
Kelly Oubre (Suns)
Justin Holiday (Grizzlies)
Carmelo Anthony (Bulls)
Wayne Selden (Bulls)

Kanter: “Get Me Out Of Here” If I’m Not Playing

January 24th, 2019 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

Enes Kanter‘s frustration with his diminished role in the Knicks‘ rotation reached a boiling point on Wednesday night after he received his first DNP-CD of the season in the team’s loss to Houston. As Marc Berman of The New York Post relays, Kanter said that what the Knicks are doing to him is “pretty messed up.”

“They told me this morning that I’m starting,” Kanter said of the Knicks’ coaching staff. “Now I come to the game and I didn’t even play. I’m trying to be a good teammate, but I want to play basketball. If you’re going to play me here, play me. If not, just get me out of here.”

With his minutes fluctuating over the last month or so as the Knicks focus more on developing their young players, Kanter has already expressed annoyance about his role multiple times. However, he took it to a new level on Wednesday by calling on the club to “get me out of here” if it doesn’t plan to play him.

With Luke Kornet sidelined due to an ankle injury, Kanter appeared set to return to the starting lineup and play regular minutes going forward. However, New York instead opted to start Noah Vonleh at center, with Mitchell Robinson backing him up. The duo handled all the center minutes during Wednesday’s tough four-point loss to the Rockets, leaving Kanter to vent to reporters after the game.

“It’s so frustrating,” Kanter said, per Berman. “In the meeting, [head coach David Fizdale] said I was starting. Now it’s coming here and coming to the game ready to go and I sit on the bench. … I deserve way better. They didn’t explain me anything. I’m just going to let my agent handle it. I love the Knicks, don’t get me wrong. I love the crowd and MSG and have love for this city, but I want to play basketball. Either play me or just let me play someplace.”

Although Kanter is on an expiring contract, he’s earning $18.6MM+ this season, which will make him difficult to move, since the Knicks don’t want to take on any extra 2019/20 money. The Knicks and Bulls have reportedly discussed a deal involving Kanter and Jabari Parker, who has a $20MM expiring contract of his own, but they’ve been unable to find a third team willing to take Kanter.

The Mavericks were among the teams that turned down the chance to be the third team in such a deal, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Presumably, Wesley Matthews‘ expiring salary – which is identical to Kanter’s – would have been included in that proposal.

Dunn Motivated For Matchup With Young

January 23rd, 2019 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls point guard Kris Dunn had extra motivation in his matchup with Hawks rookie Trae Young tonight, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Even though Chicago’s front office assured Dunn that he was the team’s point guard of the future, they brought in Young for a pre-draft workout and had legitimate interest in selecting him, Cowley writes. Dunn prevailed in the individual matchup, holding Young to a 1-for-12 shooting night, but Atlanta won the game.

Bulls Notes: Carmelo Trade, Boylen, Forman, Rose

January 23rd, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls will receive $1,566,570 in cash from the Rockets in the Carmelo Anthony trade, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). As was the case with the deal the two teams completed earlier in the month involving Michael Carter-Williams, Houston will send that cash in installments — 10 payments of $66,657 will be followed by a lump sum of $900K before July, according to Pincus, who adds that Chicago didn’t require Anthony to pass a physical or report to the team to finalize the swap.

Each NBA team is permitted to send and receive no more than $5.243MM in trades during the 2018/19 league year. As our breakdown of traded cash shows, Houston is now nearly at its limit, with only about $566K still available to send out. Chicago, meanwhile, could still receive up to about $2.61MM.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Mark Schanowski of NBC Sports Chicago identifies a number of important issues the Bulls will be evaluating during the second half of the season, including whether or not head coach Jim Boylen should return next season, Kris Dunn‘s potential to be the club’s long-term answer at point guard, and whether Bobby Portis deserves a lucrative new deal in the offseason.
In a column for The Chicago Sun-Times, Joe Cowley makes a case for why the Bulls need to strongly consider replacing general manager Gar Forman.
Meanwhile, over at The Chicago Tribune, K.C. Johnson argues that this offseason is the right time for the Bulls to bring former MVP Derrick Rose back home to Chicago.
During an appearance on Nate Duncan’s Dunc’d On podcast, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports revisited the near–revolt that took place early in Jim Boylen‘s tenure as Bulls head coach, noting that Zach LaVine was “kind of running things” and that Robin Lopez was the veteran who helped hold things together.

Bulls, Rockets Complete Carmelo Anthony Trade

January 22nd, 2019 at 3:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Rockets and Bulls have completed the Carmelo Anthony deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The Bulls have confirmed the trade is official.

Anthony will head to Chicago along with the draft rights to Jon Diebler and approximately $1.56MM in cash while Houston will receive the draft rights to Tadija Dragicevic.

Diebler is a 30-year-old shooting guard who was originally drafted with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Blazers. Dragicevic, who will turn 33 later this month, is a power forward who was selected with the No. 53 overall pick back in 2008 by the Jazz. Both players currently play in Turkey. Neither player has any NBA experience and it’s unlikely either “prospect” makes his way to the league any time soon.

The Bulls are not expected to play Anthony but will likely either release him or scour the league for a trade. Anthony reportedly wants to find a place where he can make an impact.

The cost for picking up Anthony’s salary at this stage of the season is $675K, so the cash Chicago is receiving more than enough to covers his deal. The Rockets are facing luxury tax concerns, so moving him allows the franchise to lower their anticipated tax payment.

Anthony played just 10 games for the Rockets, averaging 13.4 points per game. The fit wasn’t there in Houston and he’ll likely wait until after the trade deadline to find a new home. The Lakers reportedly have some interest, though the team’s roster is full and the franchise doesn’t want to waive a player on a guaranteed contract in order to add the 10-time All-Star.