NEW YORK -- John Salmons isn't at Madison Square Garden for tonight's game with the New York Knicks. He was told to stay behind at the team hotel as the Bulls, according to sources, work on a deal involving the veteran guard.

"John Salmons will not be playing tonight," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's back at the hotel, and that's where that's at."

According to a source, Salmons is heading to the Milwaukee Bucks for the expiring contracts of Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson.

There are also reports that the Bulls are out of the Tracy McGrady sweepstakes and the Houston Rockets are trying to finalize a trade with the Knicks.

"I'm not at liberty to talk about that," Del Negro said of the McGrady deal. "My focus is the game and I'll talk to [vice president John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman] after the game and see where we're at."