Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jabari Parker Talks About His Departure From Milwaukee

October 2nd, 2018 at 10:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Jabari Parker was never given a clear explanation from the Bucks on why they were willing to rescind their qualifying offer and let him sign elsewhere, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. The former No. 2 overall pick signed with the Bulls during the offseason and isn’t looking for answers from his former squad.

“I don’t think it’s my responsibility to create all type of different scenarios in my head,’’ Parker said. “I just take it for what it is, eliminates my confusion, and I just move on, just because it’s not as important right now.’’

Parker added that he enjoyed his time in Milwaukee but is “bitter” about how it ended.

“I wasn’t planning on leaving so soon, especially like being there four years,’’ Parker said. “I love that group and all the training staff, medical staff. It just made it home. Every moment that I had, really involved in the community, was always out. But they went in a different direction, which I understand. … things happen. It’s the business.’’

Parker’s new deal is worth $40MM over two years, though the Bulls hold an option on year two. The Chicago native has impressed his new club so far this preseason, starting in place of Lauri Markkanen, who will be sidelined for up to two months with an elbow injury.

“He’s picking things up and he’s learning two positions, which isn’t easy to do when you’re in a new system.,” Hoiberg said. “He’s got a lot left in the tank, absolutely.’’

Holiday-Parker Pairing Could Work Well

October 1st, 2018 at 10:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson is still scraping off the rust after spending the summer rehabbing a high ankle sprain, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Jackson, who originally suffered the injury in late December, returned to basketball activities on Thursday and participated in a public scrimmage on Saturday. He showed some quickness during the scrimmage but took a passive approach offensively, Ellis notes. “He’s looked really good,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s still rusty in certain areas, reading situations defensively, but I’m very pleased at where he is.”

We have more from around the Central Division:

Pairing Justin Holiday and Jabari Parker at the forward spots could prove to be a successful stopgap measure for the Bulls, according to the analysis of NBC Sports Chicago’s Michael Walton. The Bulls are searching for ways to make up for the absence of Lauri Markkanen, who is out 6-8 weeks with an elbow injury. Holiday is a quality defender and 3-point shooter who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He should mesh well with a high usage player like Parker, who excels offensively. Parker’s ability to score on the break will allow Holiday to be more aggressive defensively and look for steals, Walton adds.
Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine feels a greater responsibility after signing a multi-year contract, as Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago reports. The front office matched his Kings’ four-year, $78MM offer sheet in July and LaVine wants to be looked upon as a leader. “We have so many scorers, though, so if any of us have an off day I think we’ll be able to pick up the slack really easily,” he said. “I know I’m here to be a leader and put the ball in the hoop and become a complete player.”
The Pacers’ second-round picks from the past two drafts have impressed in camp, Mark Monteith of the team’s website writes. Center Ike Anigbogu, guard Edmond Sumner and forward Alize Johnson will likely spend most of the season in the G League but coach Nate McMillan likes their progress. “They’ve had really good training camps,” McMillan told Monteith. “I really like what I see from those guys.”

Community Shootaround: Rookie Scale Extensions

October 1st, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

So far this offseason, two players have signed rookie scale extensions: Devin Booker got a new deal from the Suns, and the Timberwolves locked up Karl-Anthony Towns to a new long-term pact.

In each of those instances, the player received a maximum salary extension. Max deals, which require little negotiation, typically get done well before the mid-October deadline for rookie scale extensions. But with that deadline now just two weeks away, we may start seeing progress on a few other deals around the NBA.

Besides Booker and Towns, 21 players are eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, though some of the players on that list assuredly won’t get new deals. The Cavaliers aren’t about to give Sam Dekker a long-term contract, for example. And it’s safe to assume that the Bulls aren’t looking to lock up Cameron Payne early.

Still, there are several names on that list who are intriguing candidates for new deals. Here are 12 of them:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Nets)
Stanley Johnson (Pistons)
Frank Kaminsky (Hornets)
Trey Lyles (Nuggets)
Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers)
Kelly Oubre (Wizards)
Bobby Portis (Bulls)
Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)
Terry Rozier (Celtics)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Justise Winslow (Heat)
Delon Wright (Raptors)

Not all the players on this list will sign rookie scale extensions within the next two weeks. In fact, most of them probably won’t. There are plenty of reasons for teams to wait — maybe the asking prices are too high, maybe their financial situations aren’t conducive to more long-term investments at this point, or maybe they simply want another season to take a closer look at their extension candidates.

Still, it’s safe to assume that at least a couple players on this list will receive new deals. Typically, at least four players per year sign rookie scale extensions, and the numbers in previous seasons have often been much higher than that — in 2014, 2015, and 2016, a combined 24 players signed rookie scale extensions, for an average of eight per year.

With that October 15 deadline fast approaching, we want to know what you think. Which of this year’s extension candidates will receive new deals? Which deserve them, and at what price point? Which should be put off until they reach restricted free agency next summer?

Head to the comment section below to share your two cents on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates!

Latest On Lauri Markkanen

September 29th, 2018 at 11:56am CST by marksuleymanov

The Bulls‘ already slim playoff hopes took a nosedive on Friday night as Finnish big man Lauri Markkanen suffered a high-grade lateral elbow sprain. The injury will sideline Markkanen for six-to-eight weeks, which will sideline him for the entire preseason the several weeks to begin the regular season.

Entering his sophomore season, Markkanen is looking to build off a solid rookie campaign in which he averaged 15.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 29.7 MPG while appearing in 68 games. The 7-footer was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft.

“Obviously it’s disappointed to be out. It’s been such a long offseason and I’ve worked hard and just ready to play basketball again,” Markkanen told reporters, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’d disappointing; I don’t know how long it’s going to take but I’m going to be right back.”

Markkanen, 21, said the injury occurred in practice on a “normal basketball play” as several players went for a rebound. He added that his elbow felt worse the next day, which prompted the MRI and the diagnosis. It’s a major blow to a young Chicago team going through a rebuilding stage, but Markkanen maintained a positive outlook during his media session.

“It’s a minor setback,” he said. “I’m just ready to get back to work. Hopefully, I can be even a little better than I am right now. You can always improve other things.

“I know my shot is going to be there. I’m not worried about that. Now I can work on my lefty a little bit.”

Below are more notes on Markkanen’s injury:

New Bulls swingman Jabari Parker, no stranger to season-shortening injuries himself, weighed in on what the loss of Markkanen means for the Bulls. “It’s deflating because that’s one of our key pieces,” Parker said. “And I think that’s just going to put us behind, especially me trying to figure out chemistry. But as long as he is around then we’re going to try to do it another way instead of being on the court.”
Executive vice president John Paxson weighed in on the injury, noting that getting Markkanen healed will take precedence over him returning to the court. “We’re being careful with the timeframe,” Paxson said. “He’s so important to us that we want to make sure he’s healthy. Like we’ve tried to do with all our guys, we won’t rush him back.”
As we noted previously, in Markkanen’s extended absence, Chicago could use Bobby Portis in a starting capacity or shift Parker from small forward to power forward.

Valentine Suffers Moderate Ankle Sprain

September 28th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls swingman Denzel Valentine suffered a moderate ankle sprain during the first week of training camp, according to the team’s website. Valentine will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks, the release adds. The injury could put Valentine’s rotation spot in jeopardy. He’s fighting for playing time on the wing with Justin Holiday, Chandler Hutchison and JaKarr Sampson, among others, behind starters Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker.
Shooting guard David Nwaba had a two-year offer from the Pacers but he opted for a one-year deal with the Cavaliers, he revealed to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Nwaba became an unrestricted free agent after the Bulls rescinded his qualifying offer. “Indiana wanted me for two years, but Cleveland seemed like a better fit,” Nwaba told Fedor. “Young guys as well as veterans on this team, so I thought it was a perfect fit and knew I was going to get my opportunity here.”

Bulls Forward Lauri Markkanen Injured, Out 6-8 Weeks

September 28th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen will be out an estimated 6-to-8 weeks after suffering a high grade lateral elbow sprain, the team tweets.

Markkanen was injured during practice on Thursday and underwent an MRI on his right elbow on Friday.

The first major injury of the preseason could derail any hopes Chicago had of making the playoffs. Without their top player, the Bulls are dangerously thin at the forward spots.

Barring a trade, Chicago could thrust Bobby Portis into a starting role or move Jabari Parker from small forward to the four spot. Rookie training camp invitee Kaiser Gates is the team’s only other power forward, though it could try rookie Wendell Carter Jr. or Cristiano Felicio as a stopgap.

Markkanen had an outstanding rookie campaign, averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 29.7 MPG while appearing in 68 contests. The 7-footer was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft.

Portis Comfortable With Sixth Man Role; Expectations For Hoiberg

September 27th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking of rookie scale extension candidates, Bobby Portis is also eligible for a new contract up until October 15. The Bulls big man appears set to enter the 2018/19 season as the club’s sixth man, a role he’s comfortable with, as Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago details.
With the Bulls‘ still in the midst of their rebuilding process, top executive John Paxson declined to name a win total when asked about the team’s expectations earlier this week. However, head coach Fred Hoiberg knows he’ll be expected to show positive steps forward during the fourth season of his five-year contract with the franchise, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Parker Bullish About Young Bulls’ Chemistry

September 26th, 2018 at 9:47pm CST by clarkcrum

Some may look at the signing of Jabari Parker as a bit of a double-edged sword, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, but Parker sees his addition to the Bulls as another weapon for head coach Fred Hoiberg to utilize as opposed to another body who may take shots away from the threesome of Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and Lauri Markkanen.

“Those days we had in the gym two weeks ago were very central for us and especially for me,” Parker said. “I got a chance to see those guys up front. It’s different playing with them than against them. I finally got a chance to know here I need to be on the floor and my strengths and things I need to work on.”

“It’s going to take time, like anything else. I can’t put a date on it. But once we figure out each other and start to jell, we’ll see results. Chemistry is key with those guys. The ball is going to be in their hands a lot. Hopefully I can feed off them.”

Luckily for the Bulls, Parker, Markkanen, and LaVine all shoot at roughly the same frequency. For his career, Parker has taken 12.6 shot attempts per game, while Markkanen attempted 12.7 shots per game as a rookie and LaVine has averaged 11.7 attempts in the NBA since being drafted in 2014. Meanwhile, Dunn will be tasked with making sure the ball gets distributed as needed.

“Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been playing with these guys, getting a feel of each player,” Dunn said. “I have great chemistry with Lauri. Zach, he’s easy to play with because he’s a knockdown shooter. Jabari, he’s an unselfish player, a slasher. And Wendell (Carter Jr.) is another unselfish player who doesn’t need the ball.”

Dunn, LaVine, Parker, and Markkanen will likely all start next to veteran Robin Lopez, but Carter’s minutes should increase as the season goes on, with sixth man Bobby Portis rounding out the team’s young core. Parker will also be able to slide to power forward and play alongside Portis or Carter when Markkanen is on the bench.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Portis, Defense

September 25th, 2018 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Having secured a $78MM payday in July, Zach LaVine will face extra scrutiny in 2018/19, but the 23-year-old guard isn’t feeling any added pressure to prove that he’s worth the Bulls‘ investment, as K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune details.

“I don’t have to validate anything,” LaVine said. “I feel I’ve earned everything I’ve gotten. … Added pressure? Man, I’m the hardest critic out of everybody on my own side. I’m just excited because I know I’ve had a really good summer. I know how good we can be.”

As LaVine observes, the current Bulls’ group hasn’t won anything yet, so the team will enter the season looking to defy prognosticators who view Chicago as a sub-.500 squad.

“We hear the outside expectations, but I think we use that as fuel,” LaVine said. “We’re going to get off to a hot start with training camp coming. We’ve all been here and it’s going to be fun. That’s why I think we’re all able to get a jump on the season because we’re all healthy now.”

Here’s more out of Chicago:

The Bulls face an October 15 deadline to lock up Bobby Portis to a rookie scale extension, and it appears the team is making an effort to get something done. GM Gar Forman, who said the Bulls view Portis as “part of our core,” indicated on Monday that the club has met with Portis’ agent several times about a possible contract (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson). Portis would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019 without a new deal in place.
The Bulls invested heavily in offense this summer by matching LaVine’s offer sheet and signing Jabari Parker, but they’ll only go as far as their defense takes them in 2018/19, writes Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago. “There’s no reason in the world we shouldn’t be able to go out and make things tough for the other team,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said of the Bulls’ defense. “It’s not about one individual. It’s about getting all five on the same page and building the habits.”
In case you missed it over the weekend, Bulls center Omer Asik has been ruled out indefinitely due to inflammatory arthritis.

Central Notes: Lopez, Butler, Wood, Van Gundy

September 23rd, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Robin Lopez is among several Bulls players reporting for training camp who may not be with the team all season, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times. The veteran center is an attractive trade chip with a $14.3MM expiring contract. First-rounder Wendell Carter seems destined to become the starting center at some point, and Lopez doesn’t fit in with Chicago’s rebuilding project at age 30.

Lopez was sent to the bench late last season as part of the Bulls’ tanking effort. Cowley relays that he was upset about the move, but refused to complain publicly about not playing.

“It was rough for me, but I get it, I understood it,’’ Lopez said. “I always want to be out there playing on the court. I want to be playing obviously, but we’ve got a great group of guys here. I think the future is bright and I think I can be a part of it in some way.’’

Cowley identifies free agent addition Jabari Parker as another player who could be moved by the trade deadline. With a $20MM team option for next season, Parker could be seen as a low-risk addition for a contending team.

There’s more today from the Central Division:

The Bucks shouldn’t be overlooked as a possible destination for Jimmy Butler, tweets Darren Wolfson of Eyewitness 5 News in Minneapolis. Butler went to Marquette and still has ties to the Milwuakee area, Wolfson notes, plus the Bucks are moving into a new arena and would have a shot at winning the East with Butler on board.
Christian Wood received a $100K guarantee in his training camp deal with the Bucks, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Milwaukee already has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, so Wood will be competing for the final roster spot with Tyler Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad and Tim Frazier.
At age 59, Stan Van Gundy doesn’t feel ready to retire, but his wife doesn’t want him to coach anymore, relays Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Van Gundy is without a job as training camp opens after the Pistons fired him as head coach and president of basketball operations in May. “I don’t care who you are, what job you are in, when you’ve worked at something for a long time and tried to become good at it and everything else, it’s not easy to walk away — particularly when it’s not on your own terms,” Van Gundy said. “Kim’s major thing is that I’m not happy [during seasons]. You don’t need to do it, so why are you going to do something that doesn’t make you happy.”