Deng admits Kobe rumors not going to end soon

John Paxson's declaration that there is no trade to be made for Kobe Bryant may not have its intended effect.

The Bulls' general manager was hoping to squelch trade rumors and eliminate distractions for his players.

But inside the locker room Friday, the Bulls were realistic about the situation. Nothing may be happening now, but the trade deadline won't arrive until Feb. 21.

"It's not going to (stop)," Luol Deng said. "You can tell Kobe doesn't want to be in L.A. It's probably going to come up again with a player like Kobe. A lot of teams are seeing what they can do with that."

Ben Gordon admitted he couldn't help but get caught up in some of the Bryant trade talk.

"I think it's been a distraction," Gordon said. "Players names are mentioned all the time. It's natural for you to think about it. It's a part of the business. You just have to take it and keep moving. What are you going to do, stop playing?"

Thomas turns it on: One of the few bright spots in Friday's loss to Philadelphia was power forward Tyrus Thomas, who finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

"He was cramping in the fourth quarter. It's the most minutes he's played (43)," coach Scott Skiles said. "He kept us in it for a big portion of the game just by being around the basket where he belongs."

Thomas scored 3 baskets on offensive rebounds and knocked down a couple of outside jumpers.

"It was a good effort for him," Skiles said. "I thought he and BG (Ben Gordon) kept us in the game, kept us at least close enough where we could try to get something done."

Deng decorates shoes: Luol Deng added a message to his shoes. He had an outline of Africa with the words "Hope for Sudan" written on his Nike Zooms, which he wore for the first time Friday.

Deng is trying to promote peace and humanitarian aid for his home country, which he left at a young age.

Errors left unseen: Thabo Sefolosha did not play against Philadelphia and mentioned before the game that he hadn't seen tape of his 2 turnovers late in the first half of Wednesday's loss at New Jersey, even though the team had a film session the next morning.

"We left out some of the embarrassing (clips)," Scott Skiles said. "People make an assumption that pro athletes are tough. There are just as many sensitive people here as you guys have in your profession. So we don't show every single mistake that players make."

Tonight's tipoff

Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center

When: 7:30 p.m.

TV: Channel 9

Radio: WMVP 1000-AM

Update: This is the home opener for the Bucks following a trip to Orlando and Charlotte. The Magic handled Milwaukee 102-83 on Wednesday, despite 25 points from Michael Redd.

Player to watch: Rookie Yi Jianlian didn't play well in two preseason games against the Bulls but earned a spot in the Bucks' starting lineup. The 7-footer from China had 9 points in the opener at Orlando but fouled out.

Next: Los Angeles Clippers at the United Center, Tuesday

-- Mike McGraw