Bulls
The Bulls own the worst record in the league. They can’t stay healthy. They already have changed coaches once. Is it May 14 yet?
That’s the date of the NBA draft lottery, which, with Thursday’s news that Bobby Portis will miss two to four weeks with a sprained right ankle, becomes the most important date of the season.
The runner-up? Feb. 7, otherwise known as the trade deadline. Robin Lopez, Justin Holiday and Jabari Parker are all players who could have different addresses by then.
Portis’ injury, which seems like piling on, occurred during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s home loss to the Nets and adds to this lost cause of a season.
Portis, who turned down close to $50 million of guaranteed money to be a restricted free agent next summer, played just five games between injuries. He missed close to seven weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee before returning Dec. 10. Portis’ injury piles on top of Zach LaVine sitting for at least another week and up to three more with a sprained right ankle. Denzel Valentine is out for the season after reconstructive left ankle surgery. And Kris
Is now the time to mention that Cameron Payne is day to day with a calf injury and didn’t practice Thursday?
“What breaks my heart is guys getting hurt,” coach Jim Boylen said. “It’s tough on them. It’s their career, their life. Injuries are difficult. The personal part of it really bothers me. Obviously, we have a team concern. And it hurts the development of the team when anybody is out, whether they’re in the rotation or not. Because we’re all trying to get better, we’re all trying to work, we’re all trying to support the team.”
Parker at least practiced fully after missing the last three days with the stomach virus that swept through the team during its visit to Mexico City. But Boylen, who pulled Parker from the rotation on Dec. 13 because of defensive and effort issues, wouldn’t even commit to Parker
“He’s one of our power forwards and we’ll see how he feels and get our rotation set and see what happens,” Boylen said. “We’ve played Hutch (Chandler Hutchison) there. We can play big-big. We’ve got all kinds of options. We can play Justin (Holiday) there. We have a roster. We’re going to fill in there. Guys have to step up and play their minutes, defend and rebound and try to execute the right way.”
Multiple outlets, including the Tribune, have reported that Parker’s representatives expressed to Bulls management a desire to amicably resolve Parker’s situation by finding him a new home. Management was gauging Parker’s trade value even before Boylen pulled him from the rotation. Asked if he has an edict from management not to play him to protect Parker’s trade value, Boylen emphatically said no.
“We don’t operate like that,” Boylen said.
ESPN.com reported that the Knicks are one team that has expressed preliminary interest in Parker, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal with a team option in July. The Bulls obviously are seeking young assets that fit the rebuild for Parker, and sources said they’d be willing to package either Holiday or Lopez with him in the right deal.
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