Chicago Bulls looking to strengthen the guard position – NBA News
The Chicago Bulls have been in the fire fighting mode ever since their star point guard Derrick Rose suffered an ACL injury to his left knee during the first round of the playoffs.
Rose has since undergone surgery to his knee and is scheduled to be out for 8 – 10 months, which means he will miss a big chunk of next season. In his absence, the Bulls need a point guard who can help the team remain in playoff
contention till the time Rose returns.
While they cannot go for a star point guard as they already have Rose in the line-up, they are looking for a veteran who can hold the fort till Rose returns and then act as a backup as well as a mentor to Rose. They are also looking
for a one guard with playoff experience as that is one area where the Bulls line-up is not very deep.
In view of the prevailing requirements of the Bulls, sources with knowledge of the situation have said that the Bulls have been in contact with Derek Fisher of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brandon Roy.
Fisher is a veteran point guard who played for the Los Angeles Lakers till last season. He has immense playoff experience and 5 championship rings under his belt. He was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers midseason when they picked
up Ramon Sessions. Initially traded to the Houston Rockets, Fisher bought out of his contract and signed on with the Oklahoma City Thunder as he thought they had a better chance of winning an NBA championship.
The Thunder reached the NBA Finals but were beaten by the Miami Heat. Fisher was expected to re-sign with the Thunder, but a number of teams are on the lookout for his services including the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and now
the Chicago Bulls. He brings experience of playoff basketball with him and is a veteran to the game which can prove beneficial to a young team like the Chicago Bulls.
Brandon Roy retired from the NBA last year due to chronic knee problems but is eyeing a return next season. At 27, Roy still has a number of years ahead of him in the NBA if he can maintain his health. His representatives have
already spoken with the Bulls management and sources have informed that the Bulls are one of his final four destinations.
The Bulls will have to decide on their salary cap issues before they can finalize a deal with either of the players. The Houston Rockets recently offered Bulls reserve centre Omer Asik a three year $25.1 million contract. Although
Asik is a restricted free agent, it is unlikely the Bulls will match the offer placed by the Rockets which could open up some cap space for the Bulls. No official decision has been made about the issue yet.
Fisher was also rumoured to be interested in the Bulls back in March as well when he was traded from the Lakers and Derrick Rose was quite optimistic about the idea of Fisher joining the team then.
"D-Fish definitely could help our team. But like I said, it's not up to me. It's up to the front office to make that call. If he comes, we'll welcome him with open arms, but we don't know right now,” said Rose a few months ago.
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