Bulls exercise options on Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and James Johnson

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has exercised its fourth-year option for the 2011-12 season for guard Derrick Rose and its third-year options for the 2011-12 season for forwards Taj Gibson and James Johnson.  By exercising the respective player options, all three players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2011-12 season.

In two seasons with Chicago, Rose (6-3, 190) has appeared in 159 games (158 starts) and averaged 18.7 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg, 0.77 spg in 36.9 mpg; he has shot .483 from field and .776 from the line.  Last season, Rose became the youngest NBA All-Star in team history and was the first Chicago Bulls player to be named to an All-Star Game (2010) since Michael Jordan in 1998.  The Chicago native was also a member of the 2010 USA Men’s Basketball Team that claimed the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey this past summer.

Gibson (6-9, 225), appeared in all 82 games (70 starts) during his rookie campaign and posted averages of 8.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.9 apg and 1.27 bpg in 26.8 mpg.  He also shot .494 from the floor and .647 from the line.  Gibson, the 26th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, was also selected to the T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie First Team.  He led all rookies in rebounds per game, field goal percentage, double-doubles and was second in blocks per game.

The 6-9, 245-pound Johnson played in 65 contests (11 starts) during his rookie season.  He averaged 3.9 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 11.6 mpg.  Johnson was selected by the Bulls in the first round (16th overall) in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Author: Inside Hoops

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