The Chicago Bulls have gone 2-2 in the four games that they’ve played without forward Luol Deng, thanks to a torn ligament in his left wrist.

He told teammates he was ready to return for Sunday’s 93-97 loss to the Miami Heat, but rod the bench anyway, according to the Chicago Tribune. However, Bulls fans should expect to see him out on the floor soon.

“I would say he’s very close,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, according to the Trib. “He’s doing more and more and feels a lot better. We want to make sure he feels good about playing. He still has to take contact on it. As long as he’s moving in the right direction, we’re pleased with that.”

Deng, the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, is averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

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Charlotte Bobcats point guard D.J. Augustin only lasted a few minutes into the team’s game against the New Jersey Nets Sunday before he “aggravated a right big-toe injury,” according to the Sacramento Bee. His disappearance helped the Nets find their way to a 97-87 win.

The Cats are now 3-14 while the Nets improved to 5-16.

“It’s unclear when Augustin will be back,” the paper notes, but coach Paul Silas “expressed concern pre-game that Augustin had to sit down to ever get this foot problem healed.” The toe has been bothering Augustin for “about 10 days,” the paper notes, “and Silas could tell the ailment was detracting from Augustin’s play Saturday in a loss” to the Chicago Bulls.

The 24-year-old Augustin, a native of New Orleans and the ninth overall pick of the 2008 draft out of Texas, is averaging 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game this season.

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First baseman Carlos Pena made $10 million for one season of work with the Chicago Cubs. Now he is moving elsewhere and the Cleveland Plain Dealer hears that his next team could be the Cleveland Indians.

The paper has it that some members of the front office “went to ownership to see if they could make a deal work” for Pena, but there is “no word on (the) decision,” according to the paper.

The 33-year-old batted .225 and hit 28 homers while collecting 101 walks last season and striking out 161 times. In his career, Pena has also spent time with the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.

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The Chicago Cubs and Kerry Wood seem to be partners in some sort of baseball soap opera in the past year. Last offseason, they were going to stay together forever when he re-signed with the team. Then this offseason there was no way things could work out. Things then looked good between them before then didn’t. And so on.

Now ESPN Chicago reports that the two sides are close to making a deal. It will be for one year with an option for 2013, the site reports.

“We said all along we want to get this done,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, ESPN reports. “We have a world of respect for Kerry and this should be a no-brainer, but sometimes during the winter things get a little more complicated. We have a lot of things going for us. Namely we want Kerry to be here. We surely want him to be here. And he sincerely wants to be a Cub. So if we can’t figure this one out, something is wrong. I’ll stand by that.”

Wood, who went 3-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 55 games for the Cubs last season, also has interest from the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers, the site notes.

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It’s been less than a year since Jerry Sloan left his coaching job with the Utah Jazz, where he had been since 1988. Along with his three earlier seasons leading the Chicago Bulls, Sloan left the coaching ranks with a 1,221-803 record and with truckloads of respect throughout the league.

Now the 69-year-old who played for the Baltimore Bullets and Chicago Bulls from 1965-’76 (and made the All-Star team twice) is talking about returning to the bench.

“I think if the right situation came along, whatever that is,” he said, according to Sports Illustrated. “I don’t know what the right situation is. We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.”

Teams have already been calling him to see if he’s wanted to return and sources told SI that the Indiana Pacers “were among those seriously hoping to land him before they gave Frank Vogel a permanent position.”

It sounds like Sloan is happy to have taken a break but is now energized to make his return.

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Now word comes from Mondo.rs (according to a translation by the Trib) that the team in question was Croatia’s KK Zagreb.

“We reached an economic agreement, but we could not find an agreement about the games,” KK Zagreb sports director Hrvoje Ciketiae said, the Tribune translates. “Rose for sponsor obligations would have missed three Euroleague games. And we could not allow that.”

The hope was to sign Rose for 22 games, Mondo reports.

For the Bulls last season, Rose averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game.

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That is, of course, if the NBA and its players can come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. It’s been a month and a half of lockout so far, and a deal doesn’t even appear anywhere near to being close.

The one negotiating session that included Commissioner David Stern, union chief Billy Hunter, and all the major parties involved resulted in “rhetoric from both sides ramp(ing) up, lawsuits … flying around” and no “movement towards the middle,” according to CBSSports.com.

Now the two sides will get another chance. The site reports that they will meet again in early September after the union has an executive meeting in late August.

Perhaps the league’s schedule makers should help lay out the course of meetings if the two sides ever want to get an agreement done before November rolls around.

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Now it’s looking like Joe Johnson and the rest of the team could soon have some new bosses: “People familiar with the process say representatives of a potential buyer are doing due diligence – examining financial records – as the process moves toward a possible offer and more detailed negotiations for the basketball team and Philips Arena operating rights,” the paper reports.

Things are “moving fast,” the paper’s sources report, though “no offer or exclusive negotiating agreement is in place.”

The Hawks finished in fifth place in the Eastern Conference this past season but were bounced from the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls in the second round.

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However, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that there are no plans to change Boozer’s role in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. The series is tied, 1-1.

"He’s nicked up,” coach Tom Thibodeau said Thursday, the paper reports. "He’s giving us everything he has, and that’s all we’re asking him to do. The rebounding hasn’t dropped off at all. He’ll score. He’s scored his whole career.” Boozer is averaging 10 rebounds a game in the playoffs after averaging 9.6 during the regular season.

Boozer has admitted the turf-toe injury to his right big toe was hampering him, the paper notes.

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ESPN Chicago reports that the ankle, the same one Rose hurt in the first round against the Indiana Pacers, is sprained and he is day-to-day. Bulls.com reports that Rose said he "should be fine" when Game 2 rolls around Wednesday.

"Of course, it hurts now," Rose said, Bulls.com reports, "but it should be good… I’ll take my time and make sure it feels good, get an X-ray just to make sure everything is good."

ESPN Chicago notes that Rose may get an MRI on the ankle Tuesday.

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