Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich missed the Bulls' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night because of a groin injury.

Hinrich, averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists, left late in the third quarter of Friday's 107-97 victory at Toronto after he aggravated a condition that had been nagging him for a week when he tried to stop T.J. Ford's penetration.

"It was something that bothered me about a week ago," Hinrich said. "It felt like something real minor, but it had been feeling good. Then, I [strained] it."

Hinrich hopes to play Tuesday when the Bulls host Phoenix.

James Posey received a one game suspension, but the Bulls thought it was too light.

"All we can ask of the league is they look into situations like this in their totality," Paxson said in a statement to the three newspapers that cover the team full-time. "I'm convinced Stu Jackson deliberated and disciplined Posey appropriately.

"I'm always concerned about potential injury to any player on plays such as this and feel that the one-game suspension was the right response."

Other Bulls didn't agree with the ruling of Jackson, the league's vice president of basketball operations.

"I thought it was a little light," coach Scott Skiles said.

Added Deng: "I just don't understand the foul. Being the number of times it has happened with him, I don't understand it. But the suspension or whatever he gets, we don't play Miami until whenever. So I don't really care."

Dwyane Wade was injured in Chicago on Wednesday night and accusations that Kirk Hinrich was to blame came from Pat Riley and Wade.

?Hinrich grabbed his hand,? Riley said after the game. ?He does it all the time. Any time Dwyane comes off screens, they always either grab his shirt or they grab his hand. It?s a little bit of a tactic down below the body.

?The official can?t see it. He had Dwyane?s hand and he tried to pull his hand out of there, and I think something happened.?

Added Wade: ?Yes, Hinrich pulled on it. It?s the same wrist I?ve hurt before, so any time something happens like this, it?s painful. It felt like the wrist pulled out of place. I had no strength in it and couldn?t shoot.?

Hinrich actually stood in front of his locker and listened to someone play a tape of Riley?s quote.

?I can?t worry about Pat Riley. I just have to worry about myself,? Hinrich said. ?I wasn?t grabbing him, I know that. He might have hit his hand when we got tangled up. I know I wasn?t grabbing his arm.

?It?s unfortunate he got hurt. I wasn?t trying to hurt him. I was just out there trying to play. I was chasing him off a screen. There was contact. I don?t know if we got tangled up or whatever and he started grabbing his hand.?

Ben Gordon scored a career-high 40 points off the bench to lead the Bulls to a 109-103 victory Wednesday night over the short-handed Heat, who lost Dwyane Wade to a sprained wrist in the first quarter.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade left Wednesday night's game against the Bulls with a sprained right wrist and team officials said he would not return for precautionary reasons.

Wade suffered the injury with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. X-rays were negative, but he did not return for precautionary reasons.

Martynas Andriuskevicius was brutally punched by D-League teammate Awvee Storey during practice on Thursday.

Both players are members of the Dakota Wizards.

''He has a skull fracture, severe concussion and a two-centimeter hematoma on the left side of his brain,'' Andriuskevicius' agent Herb Rudoy said. ''They've been monitoring him because they're concerned about seizures.

''From what I'm told, when he got hit unexpectedly, he went out cold instantly and fell right back on his head.''

Storey has been suspended indefinitely.

Bulls GM John Paxson denied the Bulls were close to a trade that involved forward-center P.J. Brown, who has expressed disappointment recently about his role with the team.

"We're not close to anything along those lines, and I tell you that honestly," Paxson said.

The New Jersey Nets reportedly inquired about Brown, but the Bulls weren't interested in either center Jason Collins or guard Jeff McInnis in return.

The Seattle SuperSonics also might be interested in Brown after Dallas Mavericks center Erick Dampier dominated them on Wednesday night.

Sidelined for the last four games because of a strained right foot, Brown is expected to play tonight against the Knicks.

The New Jersey Nets have made inquiries for Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis and P.J. Brown recently.

The Nets have been in contact with the Bulls on Brown, who wants to be traded out of Chicago.  The conversation was reportedly brief, when New Jersey offered Jason Collins and Jeff McInnis.

Gasol is untouchable until the Memphis ownership situation is settled.

Lewis would be a gamble for any team that might acquire him because he can opt out of his contract following the 2006-2007 season.

The Los Angeles Lakers nominated nine-time NBA champion Phil Jackson for the Hall Of Fame on Tuesday, ESPN is reporting.

"I was made aware of it," Jackson said Tuesday, "and yet still have some physical issues that I still have to think about before I really embrace that possibility. But it's an honor to be thought about."

The Hall will announce its 24 finalists for the Class of 2007 on Feb. 16, during NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. The finalists will be voted on by the 24-member honors committee; 18 votes are needed for induction.

On Tuesday, Kobe Bryant said he considered joining the Chicago Bulls in 2004.

"We were looking at houses, we were looking at schools. We already were talking about a sign-and-trade," said Bryant. "I liked the Bulls' direction."

Bulls sources confirm Bryant's agent did ask the Bulls if they would agree to a sign-and-trade deal, and Bryant sent word he would approach the Lakers to make the deal or threaten to leave for nothing.

A few days later Shaquille O'Neal requested a trade and Bryant eventually re-signed with the Lakers.