NBA roundup: Bulls sign Thibodeau to contract extension

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

The Bulls had already picked up Thibodeau's option for this season but talks to extend his contract stalled over the length and value of the deal. Thibodeau's new contract pays him a base salary of $17.5 million, with bonuses that could reach $20 million, according to Yahoo!Sports.

"I'm biased, but I think Tom is the best coach in the NBA," general manager Gar Forman said. "I watch his practice every day and his attention to detail is incredible."

Forman has said that he wants to keep Thibodeau around for a long time. Thibodeau was last year's Coach of the Year.

Thibodeau's leverage in getting a bigger deal was affected by NBA coaches not getting the big-money deals from previous years. The Bulls are also gun-shy after they signed Scott Skiles to a three-year, $13.25 million extension (on top of an exercised option) in 2006, but ended up firing him a year later. There was still about $7 million left on his contract. Skiles settled for $4 million.

---The Chicago Bulls signed five free agents to round out their training camp roster, the team announced Monday.

Chicago signed guards Ryan Allen, Vance Cooksey, Andre Emmett, Marko Jaric and center Kyrylo Fesenko.

The Bulls opened training camp Monday.

---The Philadelphia 76ers are withholding center Andrew Bynum from basketball activities for three weeks for precautionary reasons, the team announced Monday.

Bynum received Orthokine therapy for his bruised right knee in September.

Bynum came to Philadelphia as part of the four-team Dwight Howard trade in August. He averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 60 games last season for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sixers begin training camp Tuesday at St. Joseph's University.

The team also signed free agent center Mikki Moore.

---Guard Jannero Pargo signed with the Washington Wizards. Terms were not disclosed.

An eight-year veteran, Pargo has averaged 6.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 429 career games. He averaged 5.6 points and 1.9 assists in 50 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season, and has also played for the Lakers, Bulls and Hornets.

---Guards Jonny Flynn and Terrence Williams were added to the Detroit Pistons' training camp roster.

Both were high 2009 NBA Draft picks who have failed to live up to expectations through their first three seasons.

---The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent guards Ronald Murray and Kyle Weaver, the team announced Monday.

Murray, an eight-year veteran, has averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists for his career. He has played for eight other NBA teams. He scored 12.3 points per game in the D-League last season.

Weaver has averaged 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in three NBA seasons. He played in Germany last season, averaging 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

---Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who broke his right hand in July, has been cleared for full participation in Cleveland's first day of training camp on Tuesday.

Irving, who averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 assists last season when he was named the NBA rookie of the year, broke his right hand on July 14 when he slapped a padded wall in frustration during practice in Las Vegas.

Also, Cavs center Anderson Varejao (right wrist fracture) has been cleared for full team practice participation as well. Guard Daniel Gibson, who tore a tendon in his left foot last March, can practice as long as he can tolerate the pain.

---The Philadelphia 76ers have picked up the option on head coach Doug Collins' contract for the 2013-14 season, the team announced Monday.

Collins has led the Sixers to the playoffs in each of his two seasons as head coach.

Collins led the Sixer to a 35-31 last season, marking the Sixers' first winning season since 2004-05. The Sixers defeated Chicago 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs,

---Sacramento Kings forward Tyler Honeycutt was diagnosed with a right fibula stress fracture and he will be out three to four weeks.