By Brian Hanley
bhanley@suntimes.com
Ben Gordon believes he and the Bulls are about to part ways.
"Right now, honestly, it doesn't look like it," Gordon told the Hartford Courant about returning to the Bulls for a fifth season. ``I think a decision is going to be made soon. I've had a great time [with the Bulls]. I was fortunate enough to play on a team that made the playoffs. I led the team in scoring three of the four seasons I've been here. It's been a good experience, but we haven't been able to come to any common ground. It's just part of the business. You have to do what you have to do sometimes."
Gordon, who the Bulls drafted third in 2004, is now a restricted free agent. He and the team have failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension since negotiations started last summer. Gordon turned down a five-year, $50 million offer from the Bulls last October. The team is believed to have now offered six years and approximately $60 million and do not want to go any higher because then they would be subject to the NBA's luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar penalty when the payroll exceeds the tax threshold of $71.15 million.
Messages left for both Gordon and general manager John Paxson were not immediately returned.
Gordon's comments to the Courant came while he was home to promote his charity weekend in Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Since Gordon is a restricted free agent, the Bulls could match any offer from another team. The only team with significant salary cap room is the Memphis Grizzlies and they reportedly tendered a $58-million offer sheet Thursday to Atlanta's Josh Smith.
Gordon, as a restricted free agent, would have to agree to any sign-and-trade deal. He could also sign the team's $6.4 million qualifying offer, play out this season, and become an unrestricted free agent next summer free to sign with any team.
The Bulls decided Derrick Rose's sore right knee was reason enough to keep the rookie out of the lineup for the third summer league game in Orlando.
Rose left the win over Indiana Tuesday with 7:58 remaining after he ``jammed'' his knee.
``It's fine,'' Rose said after that game. ``When I made my last layup, I jump-stopped a little bit and I landed a little hard. But I should be all right. I would like to play all the games. They'd have to sit me out.''
The injury is not considered serious. But Bulls officials wanted to take a conservative approach, so he sat out against the host Orlando Magic. Rose may play Thursday. JamesOn Curry started for Rose Wednesday.
The summer league debut of Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley drew a capacity crowd of NBA coaches, scouts, and media here at the RDV Sportsplex. The matchup of Rose, taken by the Bulls with the first overall pick in the draft last month, and Beasley, who went to the Miami Heat with the second pick, made for the main event as the middle of three games in this first day of the Orlando Pro Summer League.
Rose, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Demetris Nichols, and Keith Langford started for the Bulls. Thomas guarded Beasley to start. Rose was short on his first shot, a midrange jumper. The Bulls trailed, 7-0, until Langford drove through the Heat zone for a layup with 6:53 left in the 10-minute first quarter.
Rose ran what was a ragged offense early--to be expected after just four days of organized practice--and scored his first points when he finished a give-and-go on the Bulls’ next possession.
For perspective, the last time this summer league drew as much media attention was 2003, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade made their debuts. Of course, James and Wade were so big that their first game was moved to the Orlando Magic’s home arena, where 15,000 fans watched the two budding superstars. These summer league games, the Bulls will play five in as many days, are not open to the public.
Rose was initially defended by Mario Chalmers, the 6-1, 190-pound guard from Kansas. Rose played the first six minutes and 15 seconds, when Vinny Del Negro, making his coaching debut with the Bulls, replaced him with JamesOn Curry. Del Negro’s presence on the bench was also unusual for a summer league game since most veteran head coaches choose to watch their teams from the scorer’s table. Yet, Del Negro knows this is a valuable learning experience for him and he had Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris, his veteran assistants, on either side.
Rose was on the bench to start the second quarter and assistant coach Bob Ociepka shared some notes with the rookie point guard. Rose checked back into the game for Curry with 7:46 left in the second quarter. Rose started a fastbreak with a rebound and left a drop pass to Will Daniels, an undrafted forward from Rhode Island, who failed to finish with 3:51 left in the first half. Daniels was not the only open man that couldn’t take advantage of a pass by Rose in the second quarter. Nichols came up empty on consecutive jumpers before halftime, when the Bulls trailed, 46-34.
Beasley, who was playing with a fractured sternum sustained in a practice last week, spent most of the second quarter on the bench.
The Miami Heat brass will travel to Los Angeles to conduct a workout with Derrick Rose Saturday. Rose was in Chicago Wednesday and Thursday to workout for the Bulls, the team that has the top pick in the NBA draft Thursday. Miami owns the second overall pick. The Bulls will be among the teams present when O.J. Mayo has a predraft workout Saturday in Chicago.
So much for a done deal
Barring any last-minute hiccups, the Bulls are expected to introduce Doug Collins as their next head coach at a midweek press conference. The team may make an announcement Collins is on board as early as Tuesday and hold a formal press as early as Wednesday.
Sources told the Sun-Times Thursday that Collins would be the Bulls next coach. Contrary to a published report Saturday, Bulls general manager John Paxson never intended to talk to another veteran coach about the job over the weekend.
Bulls general manager John Paxson schedule of interviews with head coaching candidates continues today.
Paxson met with former DePaul star and current four-year Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin Wednesday night.
Dwyane Casey, the former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach, was at the Berto Center to talk with Paxson Thursday. Casey could also land on the staff of new Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle, should he not get the Bulls job.
Paxson plans on hosting Jeff Hornacek today. Hornacek interviewed Phoenix GM Steve Kerr Thursday to talk about becoming the Suns next head coach. Corbin is due to meet with Kerr Friday.
Paxson also will meet with Chuck Person, a current assistant withe Sacramento Kings, perhaps as early as Saturday.
A source confirmed Paxson traveled to Los Angeles earlier in the week and met with Lakers assistants Brian Shaw and Kurt Rambis.
Both the Bulls and Suns are expected to ask for permission to talk to Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau. The Celtics do not want teams talking with Thibodeau during the Celtics playoff run.
Paxson has said he will hold more interviews with candidates when he is in Orlando next week for the league's pre-draft camp. The Bulls are interested in talking with Eric Snow, currently under contract as a player with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bulls general manager John Paxson has scheduled interviews for the team's head coach vacancy with Tyrone Corbin, Dwane Casey, Jeff Hornacek, and Chuck Person. Paxson will also interview other candidates at the predraft camp in Orlando which begins Tuesday.
The Bulls believe Avery Johnson is not interested in becoming their next head coach and the team has no plans to further pursue him.
Johnson told Dan Patrick on WSCR Thursday that he had spoken to the Bulls last week but the former Dallas Mavericks coach indicated his options included taking time off. That is the message the Bulls have heard loud and clear from Johnson. The Mavs owe Johnson $12 million for the three seasons left on his Dallas contract until he takes another job.
Bulls general manager has scheduled interviews next week with coaches currently on the staffs of playoff teams, once the second round concludes, including Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin. Other assistants expected to be interviewed by Paxson include Boston's Tom Thibodeau, Detroit's Michael Curry, and Brian Shaw of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Marc Silverman's about as good a reporter as there is in this city, especially for a radio guy, and he caught an interesting nugget in a story the other day and followed up on it today.
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