It's self-assessment time for every player on Bulls

Anything can happen this summer for the Bulls. There may be a complete roster overhaul or the nucleus could return mostly intact.

General manager John Paxson will be at the mercy of what -- if anything -- other teams are willing to give up in a trade to acquire current members of the Bulls. At the same time, this team can't be considered a lost cause, since these Bulls have been to the playoffs three times and no player is as old as 30.

So here's a look at what each player can do to help spark a turnaround for next season:

Kirk Hinrich: Try to figure out what was missing from last year's summer preparation. He passed on national team duty, got married, and saw his salary rise to $11 million, then had his worst season as a pro.

To be most effective, Hinrich needs to stay aggressive on offense, then find the form that earned him second-team all-defense honors a year ago.

Ben Gordon: Be realistic when it comes to restricted free agency. If no team is interested in meeting his price and working out a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls, he should take what he can get from the Bulls.

If Gordon signs the one-year qualifying offer, there's a good chance he will be forced to sign for the midlevel exception in 2009. Unrestricted free agency brings freedom of choice only if other teams have cap room to spend. The vast majority of teams will be over the cap.

Luol Deng: Settle on a new contract, then get back to the skills that made him a rising star in 2007. He shouldn't try to change his game and become a post scorer all at once. If Deng keeps the midrange jumper as his primary weapon and sprinkles in the post-ups and drives to the hoop, he should be fine.

Larry Hughes: Whether he stays with the Bulls or not, he should accept that he's a 10-year veteran now and be ready to take on whatever role is necessary to help the team win.

That could be scoring 20 points a game, being a defensive stopper, or bringing a steady veteran presence off the bench. Hughes also should attack the basket more often, especially when his jumper is not falling.

Drew Gooden: He has one year left on his contract, so there is no better time than now to earn a larger payday. If Gooden can improve his conditioning and knock down the midrange jump shot with more consistency, he should be capable of averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds next season.

Tyrus Thomas: Remember that blocked shots and offensive rebounds can pay off just as much as knocking down jumpers. Try to develop a turnaround move he can use near the basket and learn to be more crafty at the rim. No one with Thomas' springs should get his dunks blocked.

Joakim Noah: Eat and lift weights. Noah's rookie season generally has been a success, but he will need more lower-body strength to hold his ground under the basket.

Thabo Sefolosha: A groin injury probably contributed to a late-season slump. Otherwise, Sefolosha might be the least likely player to be moved this summer. Continuing to improve his outside jumper is an obvious goal. When he gets into the lane, Sefolosha should try to drive and score instead of drive and dish every time.

Andres Nocioni: Try not to wear himself out playing for Argentina at the Olympics. Also, shooting open 3-pointers is fine, but remember to drive to the basket every once in awhile.

Aaron Gray: Lose weight, work on lateral quickness, and try to become automatic with the post hook. There should be no reason Gray can't play at least 10-12 minutes in every game next season.

Chris Duhon: His time with the Bulls is likely to end this summer. A point guard who can run the show and play solid defense should be in demand, though. Duhon needs to find a way to stop blaming his inconsistent offense on a lack of self-confidence.

Cedric Simmons, Shannon Brown, Demetris Nichols and JamesOn Curry: If they can't get playing time now, they probably don't fit in the Bulls' plans.