HoopsHype.com Rumors

James Johnson’s return from the NBA Developmental League didn’t last too long in Chicago. The Bulls announced late Tuesday afternoon that they traded Johnson to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Miami’s 2011 first-round draft choice held by Toronto. Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Trade, James Johnson 

"It [stinks]," Bulls center Joakim Noah said. "I consider J.J. a little brother. But he wasn't playing a lot, and I wish him nothing but the best. And I hope that he gets an opportunity to get out there on the court and show what kind of player he is." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Joakim Noah, James Johnson 

Marc J. Spears: Bulls open to trading seldom-used forward James Johnson to trim salary and possibly add pick, source tells Y! Sports. Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Trade, James Johnson 

James Johnson will return to the Bulls this week after averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in his eight-game Development League stint with the Iowa Energy. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, D-League, James Johnson 

After logging just 34 minutes since Nov. 26, James Johnson's playing time is about to increase. It just will happen for the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League. "He wanted to do it," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It's not a punishment. It's an opportunity for him to get playing time and develop." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Tom Thibodeau, D-League, James Johnson 

James Johnson, selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, is expected to be assigned to the NBA D- League's Iowa Energy on Thursday, according to a source close to the situation. Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Wake Forest, has played in 12 games for the Bulls this season with his last being a Jan. 4 contest against the Toronto Raptors in which he played three minutes and recorded no statistics. In 71 career NBA regular season games -- including 11 starts -- Johnson's averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game. FanHouse.com

Chicago Bulls, D-League, James Johnson 

Recent Weekend Dimes have listed Sacramento's Jason Thompson and Chicago's James Johnson as young power forwards who've been made available via trade by the teams that made them recent first-round picks. Another name to add to that group, according to NBA front-office sources, is Golden State's Brandan Wright, who simply hasn't been able to produce (or stay healthy) consistently for the Warriors despite his intriguing length and athleticism. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Trade, Jason Thompson, James Johnson, Brandan Wright 

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that a trade sending James Johnson to Charlotte has emerged one option, but it remains to be seen if such talks get serious … or if Johnson remains as available as he was in the offseason after seizing a rotation spot under new coach Tom Thibodeau. ESPN.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Trade, James Johnson 

Thibodeau approached Johnson before the Bulls' opener at Oklahoma City and informed him he wouldn't be a part of the rotation. Even though it was bad news, Johnson said he appreciated the way the message was delivered. ''It was respectful, from one man to another,'' Johnson said. "I never had nobody come up and just set a meeting with someone and say, 'You're not making the rotation, but keep working.' That also boosted my confidence. It wasn't anything negative. It was he felt like he could win with the guys he put in the rotation, and all I had to do was keep working.'' Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Bulls, James Johnson 

This past off-season though, Johnson was training for the fight of his life following a relatively successful rookie campaign. "It was one big fight I was training for . . . the fight to stay in the league," he said. "It was a good opponent that I had and it was worth training for." So while most players hit the court to try and improve their game, Johnson went back to his fighting roots, and treated his training for the upcoming season like a title bout. "I was doing a lot of cardio, back to just the training for fight style, maybe a little bit of sparring here and there in the ring," he said. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, James Johnson 

Chuck Swirsky: James Johnson looks outstanding..he's lost 30 pounds Twitter

Chicago Bulls, James Johnson 

It’s widely assumed that the Blazers want Taj Gibson back from the Bulls, but sources say Chicago is not about to include Gibson in Fernandez talks. James Johnson is the best young player Chicago has made available. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Rudy Fernandez, James Johnson, Taj Gibson 

The Bulls have been offering 2009 first-round pick James Johnson all offseason, although the Trail Blazers have shown little interest in Johnson in the past and other parts would be needed to make those salaries match. Chicago Tribune