Hunter, 38, has proved to be the veteran contributor, leader and mentor the team hoped for when it coaxed him out of retirement from the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 13 to help fill the void after Kirk Hinrich underwent thumb surgery.

Hinrich, who participated in the non-contact portion of practice Wednesday, could be back by next week. Luol Deng, who has missed six games with a sprained left ankle, also practiced, and coach Vinny Del Negro said he expects Deng to play Friday against Washington.

Hunter declined to say whether he knew if the Bulls had decided to keep him.

''I don't really worry about all that,'' he said. ''I just do what I do. I enjoy every day. I love playing; I love working out. I just have fun. I'm an older guy, but I still enjoy what I do. As long as I can do that, I'm OK.''

Ruffin would be owed an injury settlement if he's waived -- he has yet to play after spraining his left ankle in the preseason and suffering ensuing Achilles soreness -- so the Bulls want to get some return on their investment.

Hunter, who's averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 assists in 18 games, has been a positive influence on the team's younger players, particularly forward Tyrus Thomas and fellow point guard Derrick Rose.

''When Kirk went down, he was [mentoring Rose],'' Del Negro said. ''We brought Lindsey in to help. Lindsey has seen it all, so it's good for Derrick to pick his brain.''

Rose, 20, called Hunter the ''dad of the team.''

''Lindsey is always in everybody's ear, so you have to listen to him,'' Rose said. ''You don't want to get on his bad side. It's always [opposing] players he tells me about because he likes playing defense.''

Hunter has enjoyed sharing his 16 years of NBA experience with Rose.

''He's a great kid with a great attitude,'' Hunter said. ''He listens, and he tries to do the things that [are] going to help him become great in this league. That's a plus when you have a kid like that.

''We've talked about the off-the-court life, too. He's really receptive to those things. It's refreshing to get a kid in this league that will take heed of your advice. You know the sky is the limit for a guy like that.''

As for being tagged ''Dad'' by Rose, Hunter said: ''Do I look that part? As long as I don't look that part, I'll be that part. I call them kids, and my wife laughs at that.''

Hunter had taken notes from his mentors, especially Joe Dumars, now the Pistons' president of Basketball operations.

''It helped me hone my own on- and off-the-court life,'' Hunter said. ''I learned a lot -- how to approach people, how to approach younger guys. Joe was really quiet, reserved, but we learned by watching how they worked, the professionalism. That helped tremendously.''