This is worst than a soap opera.
Luol Deng got caught trying to be a comedian on Thursday, and may have further muddied the waters between himself and the Chicago Bulls.
Deng was asked by a reporter if he would consider signing with his former team when he enters free agency this summer. Deng reportedly mocked the inital threeyear $30 million offer the Bulls made before trading him.
Deng then got serious for a minute, and told the Chicago Sun-Times that he’d definitely be interested in a return to the Bulls.
Meeting with the media for yet another chat about facing his former Bulls teammates Wednesday, Deng was asked about his pending free agency and the likelihood he could return to the Bulls despite their trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month.
‘‘I don’t know,” Deng said sarcastically. ‘‘Maybe they’ll offer me three years, $30 million. That might be an option to take.”
That was the offer Deng walked away from several days before the Bulls made the decision to trade him.
Deng eventually answered without the sarcasm.
‘‘I can’t say,” he said. ‘‘There’s no bad blood or anything. For me to sit here and say I’m taking Chicago out of the equation, that’s stupid. I was there for 10 years.”
I don’t think it really matters at this point. Luol Deng will have his suitors, and it will be up to him to make the choice for his career.