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According to Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN, the Bulls are in discussions with the Utah Jazz and Portland Trailblazers about a potential deal that would send PF Carlos Boozer to Chicago.

The Bulls would ship G Kirk Hinrich to Portland and F Tyrus Thomas to Utah, while the pieces Portland would ship out are unclear. The unnamed sources that Stein and Ford credit have stressed that the deal is not certain, and that Portland and Utah are considering other trade scenarios as well.

Boozer has one year and just over $12.6 million left on his contract, Hinrich has three years and $26.5 million, and Thomas stands to make just over $4.7 million next season before becoming a restricted free agent in 2010. The Jazz look set to make Paul Millsap their power forward of the future, and Stein and Ford claim that Utah appear open to trades involving Boozer.

The deal would give Chicago the low-post presence they have been seeking for years, as Boozer averages a career 18.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, with a career field goal percentage of 53.6%. However, Boozer has a history of injuries, having played just 432 regular season games out of a potential 574. Tyrus Thomas could play both power forward and small forward in Utah, adding athleticism behind Millsap and Andrei Kirilenko. Hinrich would give Portland the upgrade at point guard they have been looking for to partner Brandon Roy in the backcourt.

While the rumor does not mention what Portland would add to the deal, I'll make an educated guess and predict that PG Steve Blake would be on his way to Chicago. The Bulls would otherwise be stuck with a very thin backcourt that would have Jannero Pargo as the number three guard. Portland might also have to add something to sweeten the pot for Utah, but a deal involving Hinrich, Boozer, Thomas, and Blake works financially.

On the first day when free agents could sign contracts, the Chicago Bulls reportedly signed prodigal son Jannero Pargo for one year worth roughly $2 million. Pargo played from 2003 to 2006 with the Bulls, and spent last season in Europe after a successful spell in New Orleans. Pargo will add offense off the bench, and he can play both the the point and shooting guard positions. I am pleased that the Bulls signed a proven backup for Salmons for a reasonable price, and I think this move is a good start to the offseason for the Bulls.... Read more

With teams scrambling to sign free agents now that they have become eligible to sign with new teams, the off-season is now in full swing. After previously covering the Bucks and Pacers, I will now move on to take a look at the Detroit Pistons, who finished right behind the Chicago Bulls last season both in the division and the Eastern Conference. This coming season, however, the Pistons will look quite different, with a new coach and a revamped roster. Record Last Year: 39-43, 3rd in Central Division, 8th in East Who's New: SG Ben Gordon (free agent), SF Jonas Jerebko (draft), F DaJuan Summers (draft), PF Austin Daye (draft), PF Charlie Villanueva (free agent), F/C Fabricio Oberto Who's Gone: F Amir Johnson, PF Antonio McDyess, coach Michael Curry Free Agents: G Allen Iverson, F Walter Herrmann, PF Rasheed Wallace, C Kwame Brown (player option) Estimated Salary Cap Status (excluding... Read more

According to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski and his NBA Twitter, the Chicago Bulls have met with one of their former players, shooting guard Jannero Pargo, who spent last season playing overseas. Pargo would provide decent scoring off the bench, and he did reasonable well for the Bulls in his first stint from 2003 to 2006. Discussions apparently went well, according to Pargo's agent.While Pargo may be affordable and available, I do have a few complaints about his game, although, if he didn't have these flaws, he would most likely be unavailable. Pargo's a 6'1" shooting guard who struggles defensively because of his size. While he is known for some sharpshooting, his career field goal percentage is a very Rafer Alston-esque 39.5%. Then again, he wouldn't be brought in to play huge minutes, so he may fit in fairly well. Plus, he has had some experience playing point guard, which would bring... Read more

With Ben Gordon set to join Detroit, the Chicago Bulls look set to hand the starting shooting guard spot to John Salmons, with Kirk Hinrich being asked to provide backup for both him and point guard Derrick Rose. Hinrich could still be traded yet, but I think it is likelier that he stays (not to mention that, if this team is serious about becoming more defensively oriented, Hinrich would fit the bill better than the other guards we have). Either way, the Bulls still need another serviceable guard, and current option Anthony Roberson is not a viable option. If one of those three were to get hurt, or if Luol Deng were injured again and Salmons had to move to small forward, would the Bulls really be able to afford giving Roberson 20 minutes a game? With that in mind, I've decided to take a look at some of the... Read more

All signs point to it. The Chicago Bulls have been stockpiling young, cheap players the past couple seasons. They have several expiring contracts on the roster and have yet to move them. The front office drafted two power forwards, which likely spells the end of Tyrus Thomas' tenure as a Bull. The team is comprised mostly of recent draft picks (7 players have three years or less experience entering the upcoming season). The front office has used made thinly veiled references to it, mentioning the "process" and "learning curve" that will require patience and time. Most recently, we let our top scorer from last year walk. Yep, the signs all lead to one thing. The Chicago Bulls are rebuilding. I know, the R word is a dirty, vile, horrible label to put on a team, and this team isn't completely hopeless just yet. The front office could still pull... Read more

Moments ago, Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to sign free agent shooting guard Ben Gordon. Bulls fans, we can now commence the panicking.Gordon led the team last season with 20.7 points, and his offense was a huge reason why the Bulls put up such a valiant fight against the Celtics in the playoffs. His clutch scoring was unmatched on the Bulls, as he averaged 36.3 points per 48 minutes in situations with 5 or less minutes left in the game and a score difference of 5 or less points. He also had a sweet cajones dance that will be sorely missed.Of course, there will be plenty of folks who will argue that Gordon is a one-trick pony, a one-dimensional player who excels in one area and provides anywhere from adequate to poor production in all other areas. This may be true, but that... Read more

My fellow Chicago Bulls fans and I need to know our division rivals ahead of the upcoming season, and I have decided to make that happen sooner rather than later. Part 2 of my extremely early look at the Central Division is here, and, after examining the Milwaukee Bucks, I'll now move on to the Indiana Pacers. Look for a preview of the Pistons next, followed by the Cavaliers and Bulls, respectively. Record Last Year: 36-46, 4th in Central Division, 9th in East Who's New: PG A.J. Price (draft), PF Tyler Hansbrough (draft) Who's Gone: G/F Marquis Daniels (team option declined, making him an unrestricted FA) Free Agents: PG Jarrett Jack (restricted), G Travis Diener (player option), SF Stephen Graham, PF Maceo Baston, PF Josh McRoberts (restricted), C Rasho Nesterovic Estimated Salary Cap Status (excluding draft picks): $57.8 million definitely committed for 09-10 (estimated $58 million cap) Strengths: SF Danny... Read more

As promised, I am taking a very early look at the teams in the Central Division, beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks. I have to leave my usual comfort zone of the Chicago Bulls world for this series, but I think Bulls fans should know who they're competing with in the division. Fans of the other teams in the division might also be amused to see how well I think I know their teams, and I encourage them to enlighten me of how accurate or inaccurate my perceptions are. Look for previews of the other teams in the division soon, with the Chicago Bulls saved for last. Record Last Year: 34-48, 5th in Central Division, 12th in East Who's New: G Brandon Jennings (draft), SG Jodie Meeks (draft), SF Bruce Bowen, F Amir Johnson, PF/C Kurt Thomas Who's Gone: SF Richard Jefferson Free Agents: PG Ramon Sessions (restricted), SG Keith Bogans,... Read more

Contrary to the wishes of many fans, the Chicago Bulls made no moves on draft night, electing to take forwards James Johnson from Wake Forest and Taj Gibson from USC. Not exactly breathtaking, but decent selections nonetheless. Looking on Blog-a-Bull, I realized I was one of many who was hoping for the Bulls to pull off a blockbuster move, but, since July 1 opens up more possibilities for trades, the Bulls still have plenty of time to make that big change.The Bulls' picks were not very appealing for trade scenarios, and so they took the player they wanted the most in Johnson. I admittedly don't know much about him, but video highlights and expert analysis tells me that he at least brings something different to the Bulls. He's a versatile player who has played both forward spots (although this might mean he's stuck in between the two spots at the... Read more

On Thursday at 7:00E/6:00C, the NBA draft will finally take place, and I will have something of substance to write about in just a couple more days. The Bulls are rumored to be taking late looks at Pitt's PF DeJuan Blair, Ohio State's C B.J. Mullens, and Wake Forest PF James Johnson, while they also want to reschedule a last-minute workout for Lousiville PF Earl Clark, who missed a Sunday workout with a hamstring injury. DraftExpress has the Bulls taking Blair at 16 (here is a link to the list of recently completed workouts), but I honestly have no idea what they're going to do.Personally, I don't like the idea of the Bulls going for an immature one-and-done backup center in Mullens, and, being just shy of 6'7" in shoes, Blair could be too undersized to play power forward in the NBA. I admit to knowing nothing about Johnson (it... Read more