Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 33 – NBA Blog

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.

Derrick Rose hopes to play for Team USA this summer

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on injured Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who despite still working to regain health already may have some firm summer plans:

Derrick Rose issued a statement Thursday that he’d like to be ready to play for USA Basketball in this summer’s FIBA World Cup in Spain, and according to a source close to the situation, because Rose is ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery, he will.

‘‘No doubt he will [play],’’ the source said Friday.

Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee on Nov. 22. The Bulls immediately ruled him out for the season.

He started shooting and taking part in two-a-day workouts during the last week, but his status in returning this NBA season hasn’t changed.

This summer will be a different story after he was one of 28 players named for the 2014-16 USA national team pool Thursday.

Bulls sign Mike James to 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard Mike James to a 10-day contract. James (6-2, 188), will be in uniform tonight when the Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena at 6:00 p.m. (CT).

James, an 11-year NBA veteran, appeared in seven games with Chicago earlier this year and averaged 0.3 ppg and 0.9 apg in 5.4 mpg, before he was waived on Dec. 16, 2013.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 14.

Bulls sign Cartier Martin to a second 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has re-signed forward Cartier Martin to a second 10-day contract. Martin, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, originally signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on Jan. 10. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

In three games with Chicago, Martin averaged 5.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg and 0.7 apg in 13.7 mpg. He also shot .625 from the field, .600 from behind the arc and .500 from the line.

Bulls recall Marquis Teague from D-League

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has recalled guard Marquis Teague (6-2, 190 pounds) from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League (D-League).

In eight games with the Energy, Teague posted 12.0 ppg on .462 shooting, 4.8 apg and 2.5 rpg in 24.0 mpg.

This season with the Bulls, the second-year guard has played in 19 games (two starts) and averaged 2.4 ppg, 1.5 apg and 1.0 rpg in 12.7 mpg.

Chicago Bulls say they are retooling, not rebuilding

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times with some fun word clarification regarding the Bulls and their current roster goals:

“Rebuild’’ seems to be a curse word these days around the United Center. That’s why the Bulls’ front office is quick to correct anyone who uses it in the wake of the Luol Deng trade.

Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson did so Tuesday when meeting with the media, and general manager Gar Forman took his turn Saturday, speaking to the team’s website during a pregame interview.

“It’s always difficult,’’ Forman said of the decision to send Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “There’s a human element to any transition you make.

“I’ve heard people say it’s a rebuild. It’s not a rebuild. I consider it more of a retooling.’’

Joakim Noah not happy that Chicago Bulls traded Luol Deng

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on the Bulls, who beat the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday for their fifth win in a row:

While Noah wasn’t pointing fingers at his organization for trading Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he wasn’t thrilled with the decision.

“The trade definitely hurt, but we got to move on,’’ Noah said. “But I feel confident in this team. We’re working really hard, but a lot of people say this is a business and all that, but this game is more than a business to me. I put everything I’ve got into this.

“So I feel like Lu was the same way. It was hard for me to digest, but that’s just my perspective, that’s my side of the story. Everyone has a different job, I’m not mad at anybody, I’m not mad at the organization or anything like that. It’s just that my brother isn’t here anymore. I just needed a little bit of time to digest that.’’

Maybe, but digesting the opposition sure hasn’t been a problem for Noah, who seems to be on a crusade to prove everyone wrong since Deng was traded.

Historical Michael Jordan letters found in storage, up for auction

Here’s ESPN.com on some historical Michael Jordan letters that can be yours, if the price is right:

A storage locker bought by a man in North Carolina has never been featured on a popular television reality show, but its contents, including some unique documents related to Michael Jordan’s college career, are going up for auction.

New Jersey-based auction house Goldin Auctions acquired two 1980 North Carolina Tar Heels recruiting letters — one from assistant Bill Guthridge, and another from coach Dean Smith — from a consigner.

The documents, which had changed hands twice, Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin says, were some of the personal items Jordan gave to “Michael Jordan’s 23,” a restaurant that opened in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1999.

Goldin says that when the restaurant closed in November 2003, some of the items on the wall went into a storage locker, which became property of a lucky man after a storage bill wasn’t paid.

Chicago Bulls sign Cartier Martin to 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent forward Cartier (Karr-tee-A) Martin to a 10-day contract.

Martin (6-7, 220) is currently in his sixth year in the NBA. After being drafted by the Iowa Energy with the 15th pick in the 2008 NBA Developmental League Draft, Martin was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats (Feb. 18, 2009) for the remainder of the 2008-09 season. In addition to the Bobcats, Martin has also played for the Golden State Warriors, the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks. Earlier this season, he appeared in 25 games (two starts) with the Hawks, and averaged 6.6 ppg on .403 shooting from the field, including .405 from downtown, 2.0 rpg and 0.7 apg in 17.5 mpg.

In five-plus seasons in the NBA, Martin has played in 186 regular season games (11 starts) and averaged 5.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 0.5 apg in 14.6 mpg, and shot .391 from the field, .385 from behind the arc and .741 from the free-throw line.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13 players.

Chicago Bulls waive Andrew Bynum

Despite the center’s ability to display dramatic hairstyles and to sometimes play very solid basketball, the Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived Andrew Bynum.

Earlier today, Bynum’s contract was conveyed to the Bulls, along with multiple draft picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the contract of Luol Deng.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 12.

This was an expected move, as the point of Chicago’s trade for Bynum and draft picks was to remove the contract of Deng and to waive Bynum for the purpose of salary cap space, along with draft picks to build for the future.

This does not necessarily mean that the Bulls are fully rebuilding. But they were unable to come to a contract extension agreement with Deng, and so rather than just lose him in free agency the team aft least wanted some draft picks.