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Derrick Rose says he will not recruit players for the Bulls

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who for whatever reason isn’t interested in urging other good players to join his team:

Derrick Rose says he will not recruit for the Bulls

Chicago Bulls vice president John Paxson said Wednesday he would never ask Derrick Rose to recruit and doesn’t believe the star guard’s reluctance to do so will prevent the team from landing free agents.

“I personally would not have been comfortable doing that as a player. That was me, so I expect and appreciate where Derrick is coming from,” Paxson said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000.

“I would never tell a player, I don’t think [owner] Jerry Reinsdorf or [general manager] Gar [Forman] would tell a player, ‘Look, you have to do this.’ If a player wants to do it, great. If he doesn’t, that’s his choice.”

Paxson said players being around Rose during offseason workouts offers an indirect way to sell them on the Bulls…

“I don’t recruit. If anyone wants to play with me, I don’t mind playing with, it could be anyone in the NBA, but as far as recruiting, I never did and never will,” Rose told rappler.com, a social news network.

Kevin Durant free agency will be fun

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on the eventual Kevin Durant free agency. Like every other team in the league, the Brooklyn Nets wouldn’t mind landing him:

On Friday, the Nets will chase Kevin Durant around the Barclays Center court, hoping to contain the NBA’s most dynamic scorer. And some two years from now, they likely will be joining the crucial chase for his signature on a contract.

The impending Durant free agency bonanza should start picking up steam next season and will undoubtedly engulf the NBA in the summer of 2016. And make no mistake: the Nets are targeting Durant, the 25-year-old offensive juggernaut, even if it’s too early to predict their odds.

The Nets could be committed to no salary when Durant becomes a free agent, depending on whether Deron Williams picks up his one-year option for the 2016-17 season. Everybody else is off the books.

Durant, who hired former Nets minority owner Jay Z as his agent last year, plays in one of the NBA’s smallest markets, if not the smallest, with a dedicated fan base and an owner who has been intent on avoiding the luxury tax.

Gregg Popovich hates hack-a-Shaq foul strategy, but will keep using it

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting fun stuff on Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who is a great quote when he’s actually willing to really speak his mind:

gregg popovich

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich dislikes employing a “Hack-a-Shaq” type fouling strategy, but he’s going to do it anyway.

Popovich, who ordered his team to foul Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard seven straight times in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s 97-90 loss, is not a fan of sending guys to the line — but concedes it’s part of the game.

“I hate it,” Popovich said of the strategy before Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls. “I think it’s awful. I hate doing it. Seriously. I think it’s a pain in the neck, fans don’t like it, I don’t like it, nobody likes it. It disrupts the flow of the game. If there’s an equitable way to get rid of it, I’m all for it.

Cavs assign Sergey Karasev to D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned guard/forward Sergey Karasev to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Karasev has appeared in six games for the Charge and is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.8 minutes per game.

Karasev will be available for Friday night’s Charge game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at the Canton Memorial Civic Center at 7:00 p.m.

Knicks assign Cole Aldrich, Toure Murry, Jeremy Tyler to D-League

New York Knicks President and General Manager Steve Mills announced today that the team has assigned center Cole Aldrich, guard Toure’ Murry and forward Jeremy Tyler to Erie of the NBA Development League.

This may be a very brief assignment, and may just be for workout reasons. According to several reports, all three players may be back with the Knicks a day later.

For the Knicks this season, Aldrich, 6-11, 245-pounds, has recorded 16 points and 45 rebounds over 95 total minutes in 21 games and Murry, 6-5, 195-pounds, is averaging 3.0 points and 1.1 assists over 8.2 minutes in 27 games.

Tyler, 6-10, 250-pounds, averaged 18.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in six games for the BayHawks early this season, and is averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds over 8.6 minutes in 10 games for the Knicks.

Wizards bring Glen Rice Jr back from D-League

Wizards bring Glen Rice Jr back from D-League

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard Glen Rice Jr has been recalled from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League. Rice will be with the team for tonight’s game in Golden State.

Rice appeared in three games with the Energy, averaging 24.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.7 blocks in 36 minutes per contest. Washington’s 2013 second round pick was assigned to Iowa on January 20.

Rice is averaging 2.9 points in 10 minutes per contest in 11 games (one start) with the Wizards this season.

Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic out at least 7-10 days

Nikola Pekovic out at least 7-10 days

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that center Nikola Pekovic underwent an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) this morning at TRIA Orthopedics in Bloomington, Minn. that revealed bursitis in his right ankle. Pekovic will be withheld from basketball activities for 7-10 days and will be reevaluated at that time. He will be sidelined indefinitely.

Pekovic left last night’s game at Chicago at the 6:00 mark of the first quarter and did not return.

The 6-11 center has appeared in all 44 games this year for the Wolves, averaging career highs in points (18.0 ppg), rebounds (9.1 rpg) and minutes (32.5 mpg).

Next deputy NBA commissioner may be Mark Tatum

With David Stern soon stepping down as NBA commissioner and Adam Silver taking over, the league will need a new deputy NBA commissioner. Here’s ESPN.com on who is expected to get the job:

Incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver is expected to promote league executive Mark Tatum to deputy commissioner, multiple sources told ESPN.

Tatum, who would become one of the highest-ranking African-Americans in professional sports, has been with the NBA the past 14 years and previously worked for Major League Baseball. He’s currently executive vice president of global marketing partnerships and focuses on the league’s relationship with top sponsors and its television and media partners.

Tatum, 45, also manages the partnership between the NBA and USA Basketball.