Warriors Targeting Bulls' Robin Lopez?

Robin Lopez could find himself competing for a championship this season. The Golden State Warriors are interested in acquiring the Chicago Bulls center, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

In the wake of Damian Jones’ pectoral tear—a potentially season-ending injury—the Warriors are in need of a big man. Jones will undergo surgery to repair the torn left pectoral muscle he suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons. He started at center in 22 of the 24 games he played in this season, averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes per contest.

Lopez’s minutes have been scaled back this season with the Bulls rebuilding and focusing on playing the team’s younger guys. The 7-foot Lopez, 30, could use a change of scenery. He is a free agent at season’s end, making him an appealing trade option. The Bulls could simply just buy out Lopez's contract, freeing him to sign with the team of his choice.

The Warriors are reportedly interested in Robin Lopez. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While Lopez has not seen significant playing action, he was praised earlier in the season for his “professionalism” and was called a “great mentor and great example” to the Bulls' young players by Fred Hoiberg, the now former Bulls coach who was fired on Monday.

Lopez could beef up the Warriors’ front-line, which is still awaiting the debut of four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who signed with Golden State in the offseason.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Cousins is “making strides” and is practicing fully with the team. Previous reports have suggested that Cousins could return in late-December or January. Given that he is practicing regularly, that seems like an accurate timeline.

The Warriors recalled Marcus Derrickson from the G-League to add help in the frontcourt, but he is more of a power forward/4. With Draymond Green currently injured, Kevin Looney has been thrust into the starting center role for the Warriors with Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko getting minutes at the 5 off the bench. But Green, Looney, Bell and Jerebko aren't true 5's and are all better suited at the 4.

Lopez would provide the Warriors with a legitimate center. He could be useful in the interim and see decent minutes—at least until Cousins regains his health.

Fred Hoiberg on Hot Seat?

As the injury-riddled Chicago Bulls begin to regain their health, the pressure lies on head coach Fred Hoiberg to win more and better develop his young players. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Hoiberg will soon be “coaching for his job” and his performance over the next month will be critical in determining if he lasts the remainder of the season.

The Bulls (5-19) have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Injuries have decimated them this season. Second-year forward Lauri Markkanen made his season debut on Saturday night after dealing with a sprained right elbow. Starting point guard Kris Dunn, currently dealing with a knee injury, has appeared in just one game. Forward Bobby Portis played in only four games before hurting his knee. Dunn and Portis are expected to be cleared for contact practices in the next week, signaling they will return to game action at some point in December.

Hoiberg is in the fourth season of his five-year, $25 million contract and holds a 115-155 mark since taking over the coaching duties. He made one playoff appearance in 2017. His contract is fully guaranteed, which means he will be paid in full even if he gets canned early. Cowley notes that the Bulls owed Tom Thibodeau $9 million when he was fired, so money might not even factor into the decision of owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Fred Hoiberg is reportedly coaching for his job. (Getty Images)

While Chicago’s front office will take into account wins and losses in its evaluation, development of the young core players will be deemed most important, according to Cowley. The Bulls are rebuilding, so judging Hoiberg’s performance solely on wins (or lack thereof) would be unfair. The growth of rookie Wendell Carter Jr., Markkanen, Dunn and Zach LaVine—who is currently having an All-Star caliber season—will be assessed heavily by the Bulls' front office when determining if Hoiberg is the right man for the job.

Reinsdorf will have the final say in Hoiberg’s future. But he will gather input from general manager Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson. Assuming the Bulls actually get healthy this month, Hoiberg needs to immediately demonstrate to the front office that he can be a part of the franchise’s turnaround—or else he could be axed before the calendar flips to 2019.