PLAYER NEWS:
--F Tyrus Thomas was nominated for the Jefferson Award for outstanding public service by an athlete. He started a foundation two years ago dedicated to improving the lives of children in the Chicago area and his hometown of Baton Rouge, La. He's spent much of the summer organizing a youth outreach program in Baton Rouge. --C Aaron Gray has a guaranteed $1 million offer on the table from the Bulls, but had not signed as of Aug. 31. The qualifying offer makes Gray a restricted free agent and he could conceivably sign an offer sheet from another team, but the Bulls expect the third-year center to eventually be the 13th player on the roster.
--F Linton Johnson was released last month, but he was still the only player from last season's team to participate in the Bulls' charity golf outing on Aug. 17. The event drew a large number of ex-players, including Scottie Pippen.
MEDICAL WATCH: None.
DRAFT PICKS:
James Johnson, 6-8, F, Wake Forest (first round) -- He doesn't really fill a need, but the Bulls like his talent. An accomplished kickboxer, Johnson didn't get serious about basketball until eighth grade and showed a variety of skills during two seasons at Wake Forest.
Taj Gibson, 6-10, F, USC (first round) -- Not a great athlete, but Gibson measured 6-feet-10 with an impressive 7-4 wingspan at the NBA Pre-Draft Combine. Bulls scouts were impressed by his commitment to defense in college.
