BY BRIAN HANLEY [email protected] The Bulls might be close to trading veteran guard Larry Hughes to the New Jersey Nets for former DePaul forward Bobby Simmons. A league source confirmed a report in the Bergen (N.J.) Record that the teams have had serious trade talks. It’s up to the Nets to sign off, and the deal will get done. The Bulls might be close to trading veteran guard Larry Hughes to the New Jersey Nets for former DePaul forward Bobby Simmons. The 6-6, 230-pound Simmons has started 37 of the 38 games he has played this season, averaging 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 26.5 minutes. His contract runs through next season and pays him $9.9 million this season and $10.56 million in 2009-10. The Bulls might need to close the deal quickly because forward Drew Gooden, who has been dealing with an ankle sprain that kept him out of 10 games, was not available Tuesday for the second straight game because of a groin injury. The Bulls also might get former Michigan State guard Maurice Ager in the trade to help come close to the money owed Hughes, per NBA rules. Ager’s $1 million contract expires at the end of this season. The Nets wanted to include forward Sean Williams, but the Bulls reportedly had no interest in the 6-10, 235-pounder who has played in only 16 games this season, averaging 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds. Hughes — who was averaging 12 points, 3.1 rebounds and 26.4 minutes in 30 games entering Tuesday — said he would welcome a trade. ‘‘That’s fine,’’ Hughes said before the Bulls hosted the Atlanta Hawks at United Center. ‘‘I’m ready to play, whether it’s here or somewhere else.’’ A healthy Hughes had been benched for the previous four games, and he said having the DNP-CD (did not play-coach’s decision) next to his name in the box score was a first for him. ‘‘I’ve played for some good coaches and on some good teams, and I’ve always been out there, so this is new for me,’’ Hughes said. ‘‘I’m just trying to stay positive. I’m still helping the guys out as far as telling them what I see and what I can help them with. ‘‘I don’t know how to react to it. At the same time, I’m not selfish by any means. So I just kind of go along and try to support the guys who are playing, knowing that my time is probably coming.’’ Hughes, who is owed the balance of a contract that pays him $12.83 million this season and $13.656 million next season, had expressed to media his unhappiness with a lack of playing time before being taken out of the rotation last week when Kirk Hinrich returned from thumb surgery. His comments led to a meeting with general manager John Paxson and coach Vinny Del Negro. ‘‘It was unfair [because] I only wanted to play to help the team,’’ he said. ‘‘And I wanted to produce because they’re paying me a lot of money. I feel like I’ve let my team down because I’m not able to produce. That’s what it all it boils down to. I don’t want to be looked at as a guy who’s just earning a check and not producing. I just expressed that, and, I thought, not in a negative way. But people can take it how they want to take it.’’ Hughes said his agent, Jeff Wechsler, has been trying to facilitate a move. ‘‘He’s working for me, having talks back and forth,’’ Hughes said. ‘‘I ’m just waiting for something to pan out. This is kind of a waiting game. I’ d like to be playing while I’m waiting, but it just isn’t the way it is.’’ --

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