Jan. 17--Joakim Noah's latest shoulder injury will hamper the Bulls' ability to try to upgrade their wing position in advance of next month's trade deadline.
With Mike Dunleavy's return from offseason back surgery uncertain, that will mean more pressure on Tony Snell and Doug McDermott. They combined to shoot 1-for-10 for three points -- Snell's 3-pointer -- in Friday's loss to the Mavericks, in which the Bulls scored a season-low 77 points.
Snell, inserted back as a starter for the struggling Nikola Mirotic, has been in feast-or-famine mode all season. He's shooting a higher percentage from 3-point range at 38.9 percent than overall at 37.7 percent.
Sources said the Bulls have been gauging the market for their big men for weeks, although all talks have been preliminary and haven't advanced. One league source said the Bulls had done background on Jeff Green as a trade target, although he plays a major role for the Grizzlies and would seem a tough acquisition.
Charity strife: Derrick Rose is averaging a career-low 2.7 free-throw attempts per game despite dropping his 3-point attempts to 2.4 per game, indicative of how often he's attacking.
"I really don't know what to do. I'm trying my hardest not to go crazy when I'm out there, trying to hold my emotions in," Rose said. "I try to make contact on fouls the way everyone else in the league does. I guess it's not paying off for me."
Rose did draw a technical foul on Jan. 7 in the home victory over the Celtics for arguing a no-call, a game in which he attempted no foul shots. He has shot four free throws in his last two games.
All systems go: Rose scored 18 points with two assists, two steals and one turnover in his first game back since missing the 76ers game and leaving the Bucks' game early with left knee soreness.
"I felt all right. I was missing a lot of bunnies. I felt like I was good getting to the rim," Rose said. "I just have to get my legs under me a little more. But that just comes with playing a little more."
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