The Chicago Bulls have exercised third-year options on guards Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine, and fourth-year options on guards Jerian Grant and Cameron Payne, along with forward Bobby Portis.

By exercising their options, all players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2018-19 season.

The Bulls acquired Dunn in a Draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves last offseason in which Dunn, Zach LaVine and the rights to Lauri Markkanen were exchanged for Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton. In his rookie year with the Timberwolves, Dunn played in 78 games (7 starts) and averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. 

Valentine was selected 14th overall by Chicago in the 2016 NBA Draft. The Michigan State product saw time in 57 games and averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game his rookie year. 

Payne was traded to Chicago on Feb. 23, 2017, along with Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow, for Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second round draft pick. The former Mr. Basketball in Tennessee has career averages of 5.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists through 88 games. He only appeared in 31 games in 2016-17, missing time due to a right foot injury, but in the 10 games he played with the Bulls, Payne averaged 4.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.9 minutes. He has not played in 2017-18 while recovering from offseason surgery on his right foot.

Selected by the Bulls 22nd-overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Portis has appeared in 126 games (17 starts) with career averages of 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds. Portis has not played in 2017-18 while serving an eight-game team suspension.

Nikola Mirotic would prefer to remain with the Chicago Bulls, but there's a growing sense that he would find it difficult to remain teammates with Bobby Portis.

Mirotic suffered multiple fractures and a concussion following a practice scuffle with Portis before the start of the season.

Mirotic is expected to miss four to six weeks while Portis is on an eight-game suspension.

Mirotic can veto any trade following the two-year deal he signed with the Bulls in restricted free agency.

When the Chicago Bulls were trying to decide whether to trade away Jimmy Butler and begin a rebuild during the 2016 offseason, they were enticed with the idea of remaining relevant by signing Dwyane Wade.

Sources say the Bulls' front office was shocked by how Wade suddenly became available as his relationship with the Miami Heat deteriorated. 

Wade signed a two-year deal with a player option worth nearly $24 million in Year 2.

Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler were initially very close friends as Chicago Bulls' teammates, but it became tumultuous during the 15-16 season.

According to multiple sources, Noah and Butler engaged in several heated disagreements throughout that season.

"What happened?" Butler says. "I don't know. All I can say is, obviously he's been with me since I was a nobody in this league. And I went about things a lot differently. My voice wasn't heard. And he's been with me as I came to be an All-Star as well in this league. And my voice was heard then. And when my voice is heard, I'm going to let it be heard."

"We're just different people," Noah says. "We were always very close; me and Jimmy were always very close, but things change."

"It was hard because we all came in together," Taj Gibson says. "We were the core, and it's rough when your core starts breaking up."

Noah left the Bulls to sign with the New York Knicks in 2016.

The relationship between Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago Bulls' front office deteriorated over time. Thibodeau wanted to maintain the ability to run his program his way, while John Paxson and Gar Forman wanted more input, such as how many minutes star players were given.

Sources say Paxson and Forman were most irked by not receiving enough credit for how they assembled the roster for Thibodeau.

"There was definitely a disconnect between the coaches and management," Noah said recently. "It was a little bit of a mess. And to be a championship team, everybody has to be on the same page. It was definitely a missed opportunity."

There were also some players that expressed frustration of Thibodeau's authoritarian approach privately to Forman and Paxson.

Bobby Portis publicly apologized for punching Nikola Mirotic during a scuffle at practice.

"I'm wrong for what I did," Portis said prior to Saturday night's game. "I want to publicly apologize to Niko. I feel like I let my fans, the Bulls organization and, most importantly, my teammates down. This is not who Bobby Portis is."

Portis received an eight-game suspension from the Chicago Bulls.

Portis said he has tried to talk to Mirotic but has not heard back from him.

"I texted Niko. I called him. He didn't respond," Portis said.

Portis said he is not concerned about any legal action Mirotic might take.

"I'm not concerned about that at this point," he said. "I'm just trying to publicly apology to Niko and my teammates and [show] that I'm real sincere about the situation.

"Going forward, I want to make sure that me and Niko are cool and that we can be teammates again. And I'm pretty sure we can. We just have to repair this relationship."

John Paxson spoke about the state of the Chicago Bulls during a radio interview on Thursday. The Bulls are beginning a rebuild after trading away Jimmy Butler in the offseason.

"You can't put a timeline on it, because there's so many variables out there," said Paxson.

Paxson was also asked about their decision to sell the draft pick that became Jordan Bell to the Golden State Warriors. Bell already appears to be a quality rotation player with the Warriors.

Paxson referenced "building up equity" with the ownership of the Bulls for future decisions.

The Chicago Bulls announced today that forward Bobby Portis has been suspended for eight games for the physical altercation with Nikola Mirotić at practice on Oct. 17.

Portis will serve the suspension beginning with the team’s season opener at Toronto on Thursday, October 19.

Portis will be able to practice with the team during his suspension.

Nikola Mirotic has been hospitalized and is out indefinitely with a fractured bone in his face after being punched by Bobby Portis.

Mirotic also suffered a concussion.

Mirotic and Portis shoved each other during the Chicago Bulls' practice on Tuesday and then Portis allegedly hit him in the face with a cheap shot.

Mirotic re-signed with the Bulls on a two-year, $27 million deal.

The Chicago Bulls have claimed Kay Felder off waivers.

Felder was traded last week by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Atlanta Hawks and subsequently waived.

Felder was a second round pick by the Cavaliers in 2016.