Deng out for regular season
This news came as no surprise, but Bulls general manager John Paxson announced before Thursday's game that Luol Deng will remain sidelined through the end of the regular season and first round of the playoffs.
If the Bulls pull off a postseason upset, then maybe there's a chance Deng could come back for the second round, but that scenario is a long way from becoming reality.
"I think it's just the smart thing to do right now," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We'll continue to re-evaluate it, but right now we'll just let him get some rest."
Deng hasn't played since Feb. 28 because of a stress fracture in his right tibia. He tried running at full speed earlier this week but said he still felt considerable pain.
The Bulls had been calling the injury a bone contusion in the game notes but changed it to stress fracture. That's just a technicality, since Del Negro and Paxson had already been calling it a stress fracture.
Paxson was noncommittal when asked if Deng would play for the British national team in September at the European championships.
Bulls add ex-Duke guard: The Bulls have two guards sitting on the bench who rarely play, Lindsey Hunter and Anthony Roberson. But the team decided to add another one Thursday, signing former Duke guard DeMarcus Nelson from the D-League's Austin Toros.
In college, the 6-foot-4 Nelson was named the ACC's defensive player of the year last season. In Austin, Nelson has been a scoring machine. During his last four games in the D-League, Nelson averaged 28.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He shot a blistering 62.3 percent from the field and knocked down 10 of 17 shots from 3-point range.
"He's supposed to be a tremendous kid, looking forward to working with him," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I think it's a good move getting him in here. We'll have him for the summer and things. We'll get him accustomed to what we're doing. We'll see how it works out."
Nelson left Sheldon High School near Sacramento as California's all-time leading scorer with 3,462 points. He averaged 14.5 points as a senior at Duke, wasn't drafted, but started the season with Golden State and played in 13 games. He was in the locker room after Thursday's game.
Bull horns: Tim Thomas missed his second game due to family issues. The Bulls are hoping he'll be back for Saturday's game against Charlotte. ... An auction of Michael Jordan memorabilia will take place April 18 at the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago. Among the items is Jordan's old locker from the Berto Center, which was ripped out during remodeling a few years ago.