Bulls notebook

Forward Tyrus Thomas (below) had successful surgery Saturday to repair the fractured radius in his left forearm. He will be out four to six weeks. ''We texted back and forth,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''He needs some rest, and he's a little drugged up right now. He's had a long day, but everything went well. He gets re-evaluated on Tuesday.'' ... With Thomas out, the Bulls are down to 10 healthy players. They have two open roster spots, so signing another player is an option, especially because Thomas will be out at least a month. ''We're talking about that right now,'' Del Negro said, referring to himself, general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson. ... Because the Bulls are so close to the luxury-tax threshold, they won't sign anyone for more than the league minimum. Chris Richard was the last big man cut in training camp, but they also might go with guard Derrick Byars because they have enough bodies upfront for a nice rotation even with Thomas out. ... Thomas' injury also means rookie James Johnson should break into the regular rotation. Entering the game Saturday against the Bobcats, his only playing time in the Bulls' first five games was an 11-minute stint in garbage time of a blowout loss in Boston. ''If they feel comfortable putting me in, then I'm gonna have positive minutes and work my minutes as best I can,'' said Johnson, who was scoreless and committed a turnover in five first-half minutes against the Bobcats. ''But if not, then I'm gonna cheer for my team and keep working hard.'' ... Johnson was asked if he was frustrated by his lack of playing time so far. ''No, not at all,'' he said. ''You see the guys on our team, and you want to cheer for them. ... If you're a good teammate, you should care about them. I'm not just putting on a front; this is how I feel about my teammates. When they're doing well, I'm gonna cheer for them.''

John Jackson