Marquis Teague Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Pick Up Options On Butler, Teague

October 30th, 2013 at 5:13pm CST by Luke Adams

5:13pm: The Bulls have officially announced the moves, via press release.

4:14pm: After some “lingering doubt,” the Bulls have also picked up their 2014/15 option on Teague, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

10:11am: The Bulls have officially exercised Jimmy Butler‘s fourth-year option, according to RealGM.com’s transactions log. The move ensures that Butler’s salary will be guaranteed through the 2014/15 season.

Butler, 24, appeared in all 82 games for the Bulls last season, averaging 8.6 PPG and a 15.2 PER as he emerged as a key part of the team’s core. He’ll be in line for a salary of about $2MM in ’14/15, and will also be eligible for a contract extension as of next July.

The Bulls also have to make a decision today or tomorrow on Marquis Teague‘s 2014/15 option, and the fact that it has yet to be picked up could signal that Chicago will pass. Although the Bulls would only be on the hook for an extra $1.12MM in ’14/15 if they exercised Teague’s option, a report earlier this month suggested that the club was prepared to move on from the second-year point guard.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Sixers, Bucks

October 15th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents to come off the board this July, inking a two-year deal with the Bulls worth the taxpayer’s mid-level exception. And as he tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he isn’t regretting his decision.

“Everything I was hoping for, whether it be playing for [Tom Thibodeau] or playing with Derrick [Rose], has been better than I expected,” Dunleavy said. “And I had heard great things.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Within that same Tribune piece, Johnson suggests that Mike James is the probable frontrunner to be the Bulls‘ 13th man, while Dexter Pittman is also a candidate.
The Bulls are prepared to move on from Marquis Teague, who probably could be had for cheap, according to Mark Deeks at The Score. Deeks says that Teague’s increased playing time in the team’s most recent preseason game was meant to be a showcase for potential suitors.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines the Celtics and Rajon Rondo in his latest column, wondering if keeping Rondo through the 2013/14 season could slow down Boston’s rebuilding plan.
Hollis Thompson is a long shot to make the Sixers on his non-guaranteed deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who examines the former Georgetown Hoya’s quest to beat the odds.
Meanwhile, after tweeting yesterday that Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt may be battling for a single Sixers roster spot, Tom Moore of Calkins Media goes into more depth on the competition, with quotes on both players from head coach Brett Brown.
Not only is Larry Drew in his first year on the Bucks‘ bench, but he’ll have to “bring a whole new team together,” as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team has yet to finalize its 15-man roster, but when it does, 11 of Milwaukee’s 15 players figure to be new additions.
Julyan Stone is making a strong case to be the Raptors‘ 15th man, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Odds & Ends: Tanner, Wizards, Teague, Heat

October 14th, 2013 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Agent Jim Tanner, who had previously been a partner at Williams & Connolly LLP, is opening up his own sports and entertainment management business, according to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg Sports. Tanner will be taking all of his clients, including Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, and Jeremy Lin, with him to the newly-created Tandem Sports & Entertainment. You can view our full list of the new agency’s clients right here.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

There hasn’t been much playing time available for the Wizards‘ camp invitees in the preseason, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Considering Washington already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, the team’s non-guaranteed players will likely just be waived before opening night.
Following up on a report that the Timberwolves had shown interest in Marquis Teague, Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities tweets that David Kahn may have had interest in the young point guard, but Flip Saunders hasn’t inquired with the Bulls.
The Heat‘s opening night roster may look fairly set, but Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel cautions that the team usually keeps its options open for at least one meaningful in-season move.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside has the details on a handful of prospects set to enter the D-League’s draft.

Odds & Ends: Wolves, Teague, Sims, O’Quinn

October 13th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves, like the Jazz, have shown interest at one point or another in Bulls point guard Marquis Teague, a league source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson doesn’t make it sound as though the Wolves are currently pursuing Teague, but if the Bulls aren’t sold on him, that bodes well for the chances that 38-year-old point guard Mike James makes Chicago’s opening night roster on his non-guaranteed deal. The Tribune scribe checks in with James, who would be the league’s fourth oldest player if he makes the squad, and we’ve got more from around the NBA:

Injuries have created an opportunity for Henry Sims, who’s more or less functioning as the Cavs backup center for now, writes Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer, who examines the 23-year-old’s thrust to make the opening night roster on a non-guaranteed contract.
Kyle O’Quinn‘s contract is non-guaranteed, but he’s been starting preseason games for the Magic. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel examines Jacque Vaughn‘s curious decision to start O’Quinn over Tobias Harris.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson says no decision is imminent regarding which of the team’s big men in camp will stick around for the regular season, hinting that it will take most or all of the preseason for the club to make its call, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone notes.
Spencer Hawes is entering the final year of his contract with the Sixers, just as he was in the autumns of 2010 and 2011, but he says he’s learned from experience and isn’t “psyching” himself out the way he feels he did before, notes Tom Moore of The Intelligencer.
Renaldo Balkman believes some coaches and GMs hold his troubled past against him, but Mavs coach Rick Carlisle isn’t among them, and Balkman is determined to use his non-guaranteed deal with Dallas to prove that he belongs in the NBA. Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the details.

Odds & Ends: Burke, Jefferson, NBPA

October 12th, 2013 at 10:57pm CST by Spencer Lund

Jazz rookie Trey Burke fractured his right index finger and will be evaluated on Monday tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Genessy notes, via Twitter, that Scott Machado has been given the most time behind Burke and John Lucas III at point guard this preseason.

Genessy also wonders, in a tweet, whether the Jazz will bring someone else in depending on the severity of Burke’s injury, and mentions Jamaal Tinsley as a possibility. Marc Stein of ESPN tweets that he’s heard of interest from the Jazz about the Bulls’ Marquis Teague, and postulates they may revisit that with Burke going down. The Jazz will find out Monday whether Burke’s fractured finger will require surgery, Stein adds (Twitter).

Here are a smattering of other links from around the league tonight:

After the Bobcats‘ big free agent, Al Jefferson, severely sprained his ankle, he told the AP in Milwaukee that he’s trying to be back for opening night, tweets the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell.
That’s 18 days away, Bonnell adds on Twitter, and he wonders in his next tweet whether the Bobcats might look to add a center in the interim.
The Mavericks pickup of DeJuan Blair this summer might be huge for them, as we noted earlier tonight. Blair is looking forward to playing his former team, the Mavs intra-state rival Spurs, writes the Star-Telegram’s Dwain Price.
Blair’s bitterness about his time in San Antonio is evident when he tells Price, “[the Spurs] didn’t give me nothing when I was there. I mean, the fans gave me everything, but everything else, it is what it is. I don’t look at that. I look for us to get a win.”
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports that the NBPA will not pay their new union head the $3MM annually that former executive director Billy Hunter made before he was ousted. Union sources say the annual pay will be around $1.5MM for the new executive director.
The Knicks lost to the Celtics by 30 tonight in preseason action, but Touré Murry and Ike Diogu both made a case for a roster spot, writes ESPN New York’s Ian Begley.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Teague, Sixers

August 13th, 2013 at 9:03pm CST by Michael Pina

A few random notes from around the league.

The Cavaliers are showing interest in former Georgetown forward Henry Sims, and could possibly invite him to their training camp, according to a tweet from the Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford writes that new Sixers head coach Brett Brown will bring a different tactical method to the organization, one that was successful in Brown's old position as assistant coach of the Spurs.
Bulls backup point guard Marquis Teague spent the offseason adding new dimensions to his game, and also talks about how Derrick Rose continuously helps him prepare for opponents, writes Bulls.com writer Adam Fluck.

Eastern Notes: Rich Paul, Magic, Hibbert

December 22nd, 2012 at 11:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

You can find the miscellaneous links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference below:

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (via Twitter) says that Rich Paul, who is currently the agent of Heat star LeBron James, may have violated Texas agent laws as it relates to the investigation regarding college sophomore Myck Kabongo.
Magic rookie Andrew Nicholson is showing signs of a promising career as he continues to be a productive player for Jacque Vaughn in Orlando, writes Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld. Another impressive young player has been second year center Nikola Vucevic, who Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel points out is among the double-double leaders among sophomore players as well as top 15 overall in rebounding. Lastly, Schmitz talks about how the team has adjusted while Glen Davis deals with a shoulder injury.
Roy Hibbert spoke about how the weakness in his right wrist has significantly hindered his shooting touch as of late (Mike Wells of IndyStar.com reports).
Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver had nothing but good things to say about Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and his tenure in Chicago, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. In what also could be perceived as an indirect compliment to Thibodeau, Atlanta's Jeff Teague admitted that he was happy that his brother (Bulls guard Marquis Teague) had been drafted by a team with a reputation for hard work.

Johnson On Bulls Backcourt Options

December 18th, 2012 at 10:45pm CST by Alex Lee

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls are at the very least considering cutting Nate Robinson prior to his contract becoming fully guaranteed on January 10. Johnson says that the Bulls can waive Robinson prior to that date with no penalty, an option that "always has been under consideration internally" and is growing more likely as rookie Marquis Teague continues to develop.

The Bulls backcourt has been in flux since they lost Richard Hamilton to a foot injury. That uncertainty would seem to make parting ways with Robinson risky, but Johnson says that Teague and the inevitable return of Derrick Rose will make him expendable. Since Hamilton was sidelined in early December, Teague has seen his minutes double with mixed results.

Citing league sources, Johnson adds that Hamilton, who was the subject of trade rumors this summer, is again being offered in certain scenarios. There is a $1MM buyout for Hamilton's deal next year, making him attractive as an expiring contract as well as a veteran scoring addition for a contender. Johnson says the Bulls will need to rid their payroll of just over $3MM to avoid the luxury tax, which they have never paid.

Bulls Sign Marquis Teague

August 8th, 2012 at 1:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 1:05pm: The Bulls have officially announced Teague's signing in a press release.

TUESDAY, 2:07pm: Teague has signed his rookie contract, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The first-round pick ultimately signed a deal for 100 percent of his slotted salary in the first year, $857K, according to sources. The following years are expected to be at the 120 percent slotted salary.

The Bulls are left with just $758K under the hard cap, meaning that they do not have enough money to add someone at the $857K veteran's minimum.

MONDAY, 8:06am: Marquis Teague is the only remaining unsigned first-round pick, but this weekend the 29th overall selection gave indication that he and the Bulls are nearing a deal. The University of Kentucky product spoke to Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal while assisting with a youth basketball camp at his alma mater.

“I’m about to get it figured out when I go back," Teague said. "We just pretty much came up with something. So as soon as I go back to Chicago, it’ll be done. We’re right there. We’ll figure it out.”

Mark Deeks of ShamSports speculated last week that the sides were hung up over the Bulls' desire to pay him less than the standard 120% of the rookie scale amount, which would be a first-year salary of $1,028,400 in Teague's case. NBA teams almost always give their first-round picks the maximum allowable amount, but there are exceptions. The Bulls are hard-capped at $74.3MM for 2012/13 after using more than the taxpayer's mid-level of $3.09MM to sign Kirk Hinrich, so saving every penny will be a priority for Chicago this season.

Teague averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 assists in 32.6 minutes per game on a loaded Kentucky team this past season. He's the brother of Jeff Teague of the Hawks.

Central Rumors: Barbosa, Teague, Hamilton

August 1st, 2012 at 9:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have finished atop the Central Division with the league's best record the past two seasons, with the Pacers coming in second both times. With the injury to Derrick Rose and the nearly wholesale turnover of Chicago's bench, the door is open for the Pacers to move into first place this year. There are rumblings tonight about a former Pacer who could be headed to a division rival, and a pair of Bulls:

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears that free agent Leandro Barbosa is open to discussing a move to the Cavs, but it isn't clear whether the team has any interest in the 6'3" combo guard. Barbosa, who finished last season with Indiana, is reportedly seeking a multiyear deal.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports examines why Marquis Teague, drafted 29th overall by the Bulls, is the only remaining unsigned first-round pick. He believes the team wants to sign him for less than the standard 120% of the rookie scale amount to avoid paying the luxury tax and to give them more flexibility, since the signing of Kirk Hinrich put them under a $74.3MM hard cap this season.
Deeks also speculates the Bulls will trade Richard Hamilton during the season to avoid having to pay the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history.