Bulls Rumors

Bulls Don’t Believe LaVine Will Need Surgery

December 15th, 2018 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls are finishing their road trip without Zach LaVine, who left for Chicago this morning for further examination on his injured left ankle, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

LaVine, who sprained his deltoid ligament Thursday night, will miss at least two games. Early indications are that he will need a least a week to rest, Johnson reports, but the team doesn’t think surgery will be necessary.

“We are going to consult with some other specialists and try to figure out exactly what’s going on and create a plan of action,” coach Jim Boylen said. “We’re disappointed and sorry that he was hurt. But we’re hopeful we can get a good evaluation and get moving towards recovery. He’s seeing our guys right now. And he’s going to see some specialists because we want to get as much information as we can. And then we’ll get a diagnosis and start building a rehab schedule.”

The Bulls were in Mexico City on Thursday, and an MRI wasn’t performed until the team arrived in San Antonio Friday afternoon. The team wants its specialists in Chicago to review the results before deciding on the next step of treatment.

LaVine is having by far his best NBA season, averaging career highs in points (23.8), rebounds (4.9) and assists (4.8). He is providing plenty of value on the new four-year, $80MM contract he received when the Bulls matched an offer sheet from the Kings in July.

Losing LaVine is the latest in a long string of bad luck for the Bulls, who just saw Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis all return from early-season injuries. The team is having trouble building any continuity with a constantly changing lineup.

Although Chicago is short-handed, Jabari Parker still won’t return to the rotation, Johnson adds. Boylen plans to start Dunn and Ryan Arcidiacono in the backcourt tonight, while Chandler Hutchison will return after missing Thursday’s game with an illness. The Bulls are trying to work out a trade involving Parker.

NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Central Division

December 14th, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the 2018/19 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.

The Central has been the most active division in terms of in-season trades so far in 2018/19, with the Cavaliers participating in two trades so far and the Bucks making one. There’s no indication those will be the last deals made by Central clubs this season, as there are still a number of players who could be on the move by February 7.

Here’s our latest look at a few possible trade candidates from the Central…

Jabari Parker, F
Chicago Bulls
$20MM cap hit; $20MM team option for 2019/20

It has been an eventful couple days for Parker, who was pulled from the rotation by the Bulls on Thursday and then became the subject of trade rumors on Friday.

A pair of reports on the Parker trade talks today both suggested that there’s considerable interest around the NBA in the former No. 2 overall pick, which is somewhat hard for me to believe. While there’s sure to be some interest in Parker, who remains a dynamic scorer, the Bulls and agent Mark Bartelstein may be motivated to exaggerate that interest a little. It’s just hard to imagine a bunch of teams driving up the bidding for a player who is on a $20MM contract, will likely be a free agent in a few months, and has admitted to not having much interest in playing defense.

A trade would be particularly challenging if the Bulls are unwilling to take on multiyear money that would cut into their projected 2019 cap room. For instance, if a team like the Trail Blazers pursued Parker, there would be virtually no way to make a deal work without including a player like Meyers Leonard or Maurice Harkless – who are earning more than $11MM apiece in 2019/20 – or someone with an even more expensive ’19/20 salary.

The Kings are one potentially intriguing fit, given their expiring contracts and their cap room — Zach Randolph‘s $11MM expiring deal would be enough to send out for Parker, who could subsequently fit into Sacramento’s cap space. However, the Kings, who have long been seeking their small forward of the future, would have to be confident Parker could play at the three instead of the four, since they already have a number of options up front.

Darren Collison, G
Indiana Pacers
$10MM cap hit; unrestricted free agent in 2019

A report this week suggested that league executives believe the Pacers may consider trading one of their veteran point guards – Collison or Cory Joseph – in advance of the trade deadline. A move would make some sense, with Victor Oladipo and Tyreke Evans also sharing ball-handling duties for the Pacers, who in turn want to carve out regular minutes for rookie guard Aaron Holiday.

While Collison is Indiana’s starting point guard, Joseph is probably having the stronger season. Joseph’s shooting numbers are better, he’s a stronger defender, and the Pacers have been noticeably better when he’s on the court (+7.4 net rating) than when he’s not (+2.0 net rating). That could make Collison the more expendable of the two guards.

Of course, the Pacers project to be a top-five seed in the East, so they won’t trade a starter in a deal that doesn’t provide an immediate upgrade at another position. They may also want to do right by the veteran Collison by not sending him to an unfavorable situation like, say, Phoenix.

There are some trade scenarios that could be viable though, even if the Pacers limit their scope. The Sixers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Spurs, and Magic are among the many playoff contenders who could benefit from the presence of a veteran guard like Collison.

Rodney Hood, G
Cleveland Cavaliers
$3.47MM cap hit; UFA in 2019

The Cavaliers have already moved Kyle Korver and George Hill, and we profiled J.R. Smith in our last check-in on the Central’s trade candidates. There are still plenty of players who could be on the block in Cleveland, however, with a report this week indicating that Alec Burks and Hood are among them.

Although Hood has seen his stock dip a little over the last year and hasn’t developed into the kind of impact player that many observers expected him to, his .438 FG% is a career-best and he’s knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts. At just $3.47MM, he’d be an inexpensive target for a playoff team looking for a second-unit scorer, and he could likely be had for a reasonable return, given his looming unrestricted free agency.

There are just two potential roadblocks in the way of a Hood deal: He’s not trade-eligible until January 15 and he has the power to block a trade, since he’d lose his Bird rights if he’s moved. Still, if the Cavs signal that they don’t plan to re-sign him, losing those Bird rights wouldn’t hurt much, and he may welcome a change of scenery, given Cleveland’s place in the standings.

Previously:

NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Central (11/20)
NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Central (10/25)
The rest of our NBA Trade Candidate series

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bulls Notes: Markkanen, Leadership Committee, More

December 14th, 2018 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While not every Bulls player was on the original group text that discussed a possible boycott of last Sunday’s practice, Lauri Markkanen was — and his voice “resonated immediately” when he urged teammates to show up, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

“I thought that was a more professional way to go about it,” Markkanen said of going to the team facility on Sunday. “I thought about other members of the staff. Like, they show up to work. Obviously, this isn’t the main point, but some of the staff lives an hour away and they come to work. I try to think how disrespectful that is to tell them that we wouldn’t show up.”

As Johnson details in that story, Markkanen believes he can be one of the leaders of the Bulls, and it appears he’ll get the opportunity to play that part. As Johnson tweeted on Thursday, the team’s new “leadership committee” will be comprised of Zach LaVine, Robin Lopez, Justin Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Markkanen. According to Johnson (Twitter link), the committee was originally just going to be four players, but Markkanen asked to be added.

Here’s more from out of Chicago:

With the Bulls facing plenty of outside criticism for the drama involving Boylen and his team, executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson pushed back this week against those critics, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays. “The only thing that discourages me is when there are storylines out there and no one asks us our side of the story,” Paxson said. “It’s easy to look from the outside in and gather information from other people around the league that you know, but if you’re not coming directly to us, how do you really know? I’m confident in what we’re doing. … There’s so much noise out there, so much negativity. I don’t feel it inside our building or our locker room. Like I said, I think that what happened the last week, long term, will be a good thing.”
Addressing the situation in Chicago on Thursday, commissioner Adam Silver said that no one from the players’ union contacted him this week about the Bulls, and he plans to stay out of matters relating to the “operation of any particular team.” Cowley has the details and the quotes for The Sun-Times.
K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune answered several Bulls-related questions in his mailbag earlier this week.
Earlier today, we passed along word that the Bulls have engaged in some Jabari Parker trade talks. That full story is right here.

Bulls Have Engaged In Jabari Parker Trade Talks

December 14th, 2018 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Bulls prepare to pull Jabari Parker from their rotation, they’ve also engaged in trade talks with multiple teams regarding Parker, sources tell K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. According to Johnson, there’s “considerable interest” in Parker and there’s motivation to get a deal done.

Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that trade discussions have taken place and that teams have interest in Parker, adding that agent Mark Bartelstein is involved in the process too.

Parker, 2014’s second overall pick, joined his hometown Bulls during the 2018 offseason. While he has posted respectable counting stats through 29 games, averaging 15.2 PPG and 6.9 RPG, the former Buck hasn’t contributed much on the defensive end, which is one reason why he’s being benched. According to Johnson, Jim Boylen‘s benching of Parker is “yet another reminder” that Chicago’s new head coach wants his players to compete on the defensive end and play within the team structure on offense.

Although the Bulls have gauged the trade market for Parker, the team isn’t necessarily viewing his demotion as a permanent one, says Johnson. The 23-year-old has been told that how he competes in practice will determine his future playing time, assuming he remains with the Bulls. For now, Parker says it’s too early to determine whether he’ll eventually ask for a trade or even a buyout, Johnson adds.

“Everybody is telling me the truth and that’s just to stay ready,” Parker said. “They’re not telling me things I want to hear. They’re not pointing fingers. And personally, I know I’ve done my job to embrace Jim as the head coach. I’ve been nothing but welcoming of him. And that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

If the Bulls do get serious about moving Parker, his contract will be an obstacle, as both Johnson and Charania observe. It’s essentially an expiring deal, since he has a team option for 2019/20, but his $20MM salary for this season could be tough to swallow for potential suitors, given his play on defense. The Bulls would have to take back at least $15MM in any deal, but may be unwilling to take on multiyear salary, since they’re projected to open up significant cap room in 2019.

Parker will officially become eligible to be traded on Saturday.

Bulls To Pull Jabari Parker From Rotation

December 13th, 2018 at 8:16pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls will drop Jabari Parker from their rotation, no longer giving the 23-year-old regular minutes this season, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.com.

Parker signed a two-year, $40MM deal to join the team this past summer in free agency, and his contract contains a team option for next season. The Bulls could – and almost certainly will – decline his option and send him him back to free agency in 2019.

There have been no discussions on a potential buyout between Parker and the Bulls, though that option could be increasingly possible as the deadline nears, Andrews adds. Head coach Jim Boylen originally showed confidence in Parker upon being promoted to replace Fred Hoiberg, testing the forward in different roles.

“Jabari has been great,” Boylen said, according to Andrews. “He understands. Jabari wants to make it about helping the team win. And that’s what I’ve asked him to do.”

In 28 games with the Bulls this season, Parker has averaged 15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 31 minutes per game. He’s started in 17 of those games, seeing minutes at both the small forward and power forward positions.

Parker is expected to play in the team’s game on Thursday in place of Chandler Hutchison, who’s dealing with an illness, but likely won’t see consistent playing time moving forward.

Bulls Front Office Says Boylen Is 'Safe'

December 11th, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Monday’s report that Bulls players contacted the National Basketball Players Association of Jim Boylen‘s coaching tactics, a front office sources stressed to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the team’s new head coach is “safe.” That source also had no complaints about what happened over the weekend: “Jim handled [Sunday] really well. It was a teachable moment for our young guys.”

Bulls Considering Leadership Committee

December 11th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls discussed forming a leadership committee after this weekend’s incidents involving new coach Jim Boylen, according to Malika Andrews and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. If it happens, committee members will help to foster communication and mitigate disputes that arise between players and coaches.

Bulls players reacted angrily after Boylen, who took over for Fred Hoiberg last week, scheduled a Sunday practice in the midst of a three-game stretch in four nights. Boylen has been holding strenuous practice sessions since becoming head coach, and players objected to the additional wear and tear in the midst of a difficult part of the schedule.

Some players discussed boycotting Sunday’s session, but Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez helped to quell that rebellion. All the players showed up, but there was no practice, just two meetings — one involving just players and another between players and coaches with team president John Paxson and GM Gar Forman present.

Boylen reportedly has the full support of management in his get-tough approach with the team. However, he explained in the second meeting that he wasn’t intending to hold a hard practice on Sunday and stressed to players that they need to learn to trust him.

Zach LaVine told the ESPN writers he met one-on-one with Boylen and tried to explain his perspective.

“You just want to be real with people,” LaVine said. “There shouldn’t be any clouds. I think of myself as one of the leaders on the team. I just wanted to voice my opinion to them. This is a business, this isn’t a dictatorship. We are all grown men, so everybody has a voice.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/18

December 10th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

In what might be the most significant G League assignment of the season, the Warriors sent All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to their affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced. Cousins is rehabbing from a torn Achilles and is hopeful to return within three-to-four weeks. We relayed Cousins’ assignment and his comments after Monday’s practice.
The Rockets recalled Isaiah Hartenstein from their G League affiliate in Rio Grande, per Mark Berman of FOX 26. Hartenstein (Twitter link). The 20-year-old center has appeared in 21 games this season, averaging 2.1 PPG and 1.6 RPG.
The Celtics recalled Robert Williams from their G League affiliate Maine Red Claws, the team announced (Twitter link). Williams has appeared in nine games with Boston on the season and was drafted by the team 27th overall in June.
The Bulls assigned Antonio Blakeney to their G League affiliate Windy City Bulls, the team announced (Twitter link). Blakeney has appeared in 24 games with Chicago this season but only played four of their past seven.

Bulls Players Reached Out To NBPA About Boylen’s Tactics

December 10th, 2018 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an odd weekend for the Bulls, who picked up a rare win on Friday, suffered the worst loss in team history on Saturday, then held a pair of meetings on Sunday in lieu of the practice that head coach Jim Boylen had reportedly planned. As we relayed this morning, some Bulls players had originally wanted to skip Sunday’s practice altogether, discussing the idea beforehand in a group chat, but Robin Lopez and Lauri Markkanen were among those who convinced everyone to show up and voice their concerns.

Speaking today to reporters, including K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), Boylen pushed back on the idea that his team – as a whole – was opposed to practicing on Sunday.

“That is not true that ‘they’ didn’t want to have practice. ‘They’ means everybody. That is not true. I don’t like that narrative,” Boylen said, per Johnson. “The truth is we had a couple guys who thought a Sunday practice was excessive after the week we had. They have to trust me that if I bring them in to practice, I’m going to manage their legs. They didn’t understand that. So I explained to them that you have to trust me that I’m going to do what’s best for this team. What was best was coming in, being together and growing.”

As Johnson explains (via Twitter), it’s not as if Boylen’s tactics are at odds with what Bulls ownership and management wants from him — while his coaching style definitely reflects his personality, Boylen also has an organizational mandate to push his players hard, says Johnson. The head coach said as much on Monday, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relays.

“My job, I tell them this and you guys have heard me say this, is to try and push our guys to a place they can’t take themselves,” Boylen said. “That’s pushing them outside their comfort zone. That’s what my job is, that’s what the Reinsdorfs are paying me for. I take that very seriously, so I explained that to them.”

As Boylen doubles down on his hard-nosed approach to the head coaching job, Vincent Goodwill and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports report that Bulls players contacted the National Basketball Players Association on Sunday about Boylen’s tactics. Having already gone through three two-and-a-half hour practices since Boylen took over last Monday, the players reached out to the union when it appeared that another grueling practice was on tap for Sunday following a back-to-back set.

Haynes and Goodwill passed along several more fascinating tidbits on the situation in Chicago. We’ll round up a number of the highlights here:

Following Saturday’s game, one of the team’s veterans said – in a group text with his teammates – that if anyone showed up to Sunday’s practice, the vet would personally fine them, according to Haynes and Goodwill. Some players agreed, but with Boylen aware of the plan and refusing to relent, the players ultimately decided to show up, even though they had no intention of practicing.
Lopez, who wasn’t part of the initial group chat, played a major role in getting the players to back down, per Yahoo’s report. The veteran center also said today that the team “came out the better for it” after Sunday’s meetings, but admitted that he wished Fred Hoiberg had been given the chance to coach a fully healthy roster this season, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.com.
Sources close to Boylen tell Haynes and Goodwill that the coach wasn’t actually planning to conduct a rigorous practice on Sunday. K.C. Johnson previously reported the same thing, writing that Boylen simply planned to have his players watch film and get some shots up. It’s not clear whether or not that’s revisionist history, considering Boylen said on Saturday night that he pulled his players early on Saturday in a “premeditated” move so that they’d be able to practice on Sunday.
Boylen, who has had “numerous verbal confrontations” with Bulls players since the start of the 2018/19 season, went against the usual postgame protocol by making players watch film immediately after last Tuesday’s loss to Indiana. Sources tell Haynes and Goodwill that Bulls players felt like they were being treated like high school athletes, and felt further disrespected when Boylen told the media later the players had to get in better shape.
When the Bulls told Boylen on Sunday that they weren’t practicing, Zach LaVine and Justin Holiday were the “most vocal,” sources tell Haynes and Goodwill. Sensing “turmoil” in Chicago, some teams have begun looking into Holiday’s availability, though it’s not yet clear if the Bulls will engage in trade talks, according to Haynes and Goodwill. Previous reports have suggested Holiday, who is on an expiring contract, should be available.
Defending his decision to sub out all five starters at once during Saturday’s game, Boylen cited Gregg Popovich and the Spurs when speaking with his team on Sunday. According to Haynes and Goodwill, one player responded by telling Boylen, in essence, that the Bulls “aren’t the Spurs and, more importantly, he isn’t Popovich.”

Latest Details On Bulls’ Sunday Meetings

December 10th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed on Sunday, the Bulls held a pair of meetings on Sunday following the worst loss in franchise history on Saturday, with the players participating in the first meeting before being joined by the coaches for the second one. K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic have since provided more details on what happened on Sunday, reporting that those meetings were a compromise of sorts.

As Johnson and Mayberry explain, new head coach Jim Boylen pulled his starters early on Saturday in a “premeditated” move, vowing to put the team through another grueling practice on Sunday. Having played back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, Bulls players pushed back against the idea of another intense practice on Sunday, using a team-wide group text to discuss the possibility of boycotting that practice, or showing up at the team facility together and then walking out.

However, Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez expressed concern about the “unprofessionalism” of a potential boycott, sources tell Mayberry. Veteran Bulls were also concerned about the impact that a major act of rebellion could have on the club’s younger, less established players, Mayberry adds. Ultimately, the players decided to show up and voice their concerns with Boylen and his staff, which led to the compromise — the practice didn’t happen, but the two meetings did.

Boylen’s initially-stated desire to push the Bulls hard again on Sunday after back-to-back games reflects the approach he has taken since replacing Fred Hoiberg as the team’s head coach a week ago. As Mayberry details, Boylen has been putting the Bulls through long, rigorous practices since taking over last Monday.

Last Tuesday, for instance, according to Mayberry, the team’s shootaround in Indianapolis exceeded 90 minutes. After the Bulls lost to the Pacers that night, Boylen immediately made players watch clips of their turnovers and poor defensive rebounding, then emerged from the locker room to tell reporters that his players needed to improve their conditioning and toughness.

“We needed to get a lot of stuff off our chest and be transparent,” Zach LaVine said on Sunday, according to Johnson. “I don’t think the players’ toughness should ever be questioned. I think that’s on us. I think that is a little bit of what we discussed in our meeting.”

For his part, Boylen has shown no regrets about the tactics he has taken, and believes they’re sending the right message to his players.

“They’re learning how I operate,” Boylen said, per Mayberry. “They’re learning what I value. And if I think a group out there isn’t doing what they need to be doing as a collective unit, I’m going to sub. Maybe I’ll sub three. Maybe I’ll sub five. What they have to understand is there are obligations and options. And we’re cleaning up what goes on. You’re obligated to do the things I ask them to do. And they’re obligated to play the right way. And when they’re not, my job is to try to fix that.”

When they announced last week that he would replace Hoiberg, the Bulls didn’t give Boylen the interim tag, suggesting they expect him to finish out the season and perhaps even remain in the head coaching role in 2019/20 and beyond. Despite a rocky start, there’s no indication the franchise won’t stick to that plan, so it’s in the Bulls’ best interests to make sure that the players and their coach are on the same page. After Sunday’s meetings, both sides seemed a little more comfortable, at least for now.

“Nobody is going to make more mistakes than I do,” Boylen said, per Johnson. “I have a lot of responsibility and make a lot of decisions. I’m not going to get them all right. But this is not a hobby for me. We’re going to keep working and grinding and communicating and hugging and crying and laughing and moving forward.”

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