Hoiberg says he loves everything about coaching Rondo
Most questions regarding the Bulls' future were met with vague answers after their season-ending loss to Boston on Friday.
But coach Fred Hoiberg spoke up loudly when asked if he'd like to see point guard Rajon Rondo return next season. The Bulls can bring back Rondo at $13.4 million or cut him loose for $3 million.
"I love Rondo. I love coaching him. I love everything about the kid," Hoiberg said. "He was so good to have out there on the floor. When we put him back in the lineup with Jimmy (Butler), we got a lot accomplished. We played an exciting style of basketball, a fun style of basketball to watch and a fun style of basketball to coach and Rajon was responsible for a lot of that."
The Bulls stunned the top-seeded Celtics twice in Boston to start the series. But when Rondo was lost with a broken right thumb, they dropped four straight. Butler also responded to the Rondo question.
"Of course (I want Rondo back)," Butler said. "He's been huge for us this year molding these young guys into the type of player they need to be on the basketball floor, in that film room, around everybody. Obviously the way he plays the game, getting everybody involved - yeah, I love playing with him. But I don't know what the future holds for anybody."
Mirotic lists option No. 1:
Nikola Mirotic has spent three sometimes promising, often frustrating seasons with the Bulls. He'll be a restricted free agent this summer and his future is very unclear.
"My first option will be Chicago. That's 100 percent I can tell you now," Mirotic said. "I love this city, I love this team. Obviously, I didn't play my best game yet. I played it in some moments. It's still far and we're going to wait till July, but I can tell you my first option is Chicago."
Mirotic said his goal this summer will be to add 5-10 pounds of muscle.
Pick a point guard:
Coach Fred Hoiberg talked about how the Bulls have had to improvise at point guard since losing Rajon Rondo to a broken thumb after Game 2.
"Well, it's tough. We're asking guys to play roles they haven't played all year," Hoiberg said. "Dwyane (Wade) hasn't played point guard really since his first couple years in the league. He's done most of his damage off the ball. Isaiah (Canaan) is more of an off-the-ball guy.
"We had Paul Zipser bringing the ball up the floor in the last game for a short stretch, which wasn't real pretty, but he didn't turn it over and he did initiate the offense. But we're asking guys and we're putting them in positions where they haven't been. And we're trying to simplify things and get into our actions where we can get a quality possession."
Rondo plays role:
At Friday's shootaround, Dwyane Wade talked about what Rajon Rondo has been doing to try to stay involved while he's out with a broken thumb.
"He's doing as much as he can," Wade said. "He holds my play cards in his suit jacket, so I go over to him and we look at those play cards. He's doing everything from that standpoint as leader that you can do when you're not out there with your guys.
"He's in the locker room, he's the one screaming, getting guys ready. He wants to be out there. His blood is boiling that he can't be out there. But he's coming to guys, talking to them. He's doing his job as a leader."
Thomas set to go home:
Boston's Isaiah Thomas planned to fly to Seattle after Game 6 for the funeral of his younger sister Chyna. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he didn't want to comment on if any other players are going.