Richard Hamilton (lower back) will not make the Bulls' West Coast trip that begins Sunday afternoon against the Lakers at the Staples Center. But Kirk Hinrich (right foot) and Taj Gibson (sprained knee) are day-to-day and not yet ruled out of the game against the Lakers, coach Tom Thibodeau said.

''You never know,'' Thibodeau said Saturday after the Bulls practiced lightly at the Berto Center before leaving for Los Angeles. ''Tomorrow is a long way off.''

Derrick Rose will accompany the team on the trip and participate in shootarounds and practices as he has for the past few weeks. But his return did not appear imminent based on Thibodeau's responses Saturday.

''He's the same,'' Thibodeau said. ''Concentrate on each and every day. Put everything you have into it and we'll see where we are.''

Thibodeau said he has not decided how the process of Rose's return will be handled by the team -- whether his return ultimately will be a ''game-time decision'' or if the national interest in it might require more advance notice.

''We'll see,'' Thibodeau said. ''We'll cross that bridge when we get there. We just want him to keep working. There is no timetable.''