Fred Hoiberg Mum On Whether A Bulls Trade Is In The Works

By Cody Westerlund--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With his Bulls mired in a slump that's seen them lose 13 of their past 18 games and fall to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, coach Fred Hoiberg reiterated a specific point Tuesday evening following their first practice after the All-Star break.

"The big thing is getting our confidence back," Hoiberg said.

With the context of the question asked, that answer in and of itself was telling. Hoiberg was asked if he still had "high hopes" if "things break right," but he's not thinking much about the big picture. He's simply trying to find present-day answers for a team's that fallen to 27-25 after it openly discussed championship aspirations before the season and one that will be without All-Star wing Jimmy Butler until at least early March and forward Nikola Mirotic for longer than that due to injuries.

"We got to find a way to get some wins to gain that confidence," Hoiberg said.

"If we get our guys right, anything can happen."

One path to some form of rejuvenation could be for Chicago to make a move prior to Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline, but Hoiberg gave no indication whether anything was in the works. The Bulls discussed the framework of a Taj Gibson-Patrick Patterson deal with the Raptors recently, ESPN.com reported, but that apparently hit a dead end.

Hoiberg confirmed he has regular communication with executives John Paxson and Gar Forman regarding the looming deadline.

"I know (executives John Paxson and Gar Forman) are up doing their job," Hoiberg said. "They're calling all around the league, just like teams do this time of year. We'll see what happens. This is the time where things get serious, these final 48 hours leading into the deadline. We'll see what happens. Our big thing is getting our team right, getting healthy and hopefully getting on a run here down the stretch."

The Bulls got just a bit healthier during the break. Gibson was a full go in Tuesday's practice after injuring his left foot in the final game before the All-Star break, and he's expected to play Thursday when Chicago visits the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mirotic continues to have a much slower recovery after a pair of surgical procedures, the first an appendectomy in late January that was then followed by a hematoma removal a few days later that was needed because of complications from the first operation.

Hoiberg remained confident that Mirotic will return to action this season but cautioned he's still weeks away from doing so.

"He's gained some of his weight back," Hoiberg said. "He's still down 10 or 11 pounds. He's not been cleared to get on the floor or do any running. He's been in the weight room just kind of gradually doing some things. He still has pain in his abdomen. He'll start in the pool, but he's still several weeks away."

As for Butler, he's "feeling a lot better" in his recovery from a left knee strain, Hoiberg said, but isn't yet ready for on-court cutting and such.

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.