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Though former NBA M.V.P. Derrick Rose is out for the season, the Chicago Bulls have opted to roll the dice with newly acquired D.J. Augustin and young gun Marquis Teague, making veteran Mike James the odd man out. The Amityville, New York native was ultimately waived earlier on Monday.
Ironically enough, James had previously provided Chicago with injury-insurance for Rose back in 2011-12, when he appeared in eleven games for the contender after joining them midseason.
Despite having to wait until midseason each of the last two years for NBA gigs to eventually come his way, James returned to the Bulls this past fall with a training camp contract, and earned himself a spot on the opening night roster. That said, now that he's been let go, where will James go from here?
The new year is steadily approaching, and with the month of January comes the NBA D-League Showcase. No stranger to the minor league (or the Showcase specifically, actually), James has hit the NBADL hardwood each of the past two years to strut his stuff and prove to the masses of NBA executives in town for the Showcase that he still has what it takes to compete on the pro level.
Such a strategy has worked out for the veteran, as James was able to catch the the attention of Chicago back in 2012, and the Mavericks earlier this year as well. Will he continue such a trend to ring in the new year of 2014?
Upon his release from the Bulls, James has reportedly been dealing with a knee injury as of late. That may limit the amount of NBA interest he has at this very moment, but who's not to say that after some rehab and holiday time with his family that James will be ready to go in January?
The 38 year old has always been one to let his play do the talking, and is often poised to do whatever is necessary to prove he still has some extra swagger left in his step. Perhaps it's not the most ideal of circumstances, but the NBA D-League Showcase has helped him do that in each of the past two seasons. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him show up in Reno for another go at it in just a few short weeks again.