Not the Retiring Type, Rodman Returns

Ending two weeks of intrigue over his future, Dennis Rodman signed a one-year contract Thursday to stay with the Chicago Bulls.

After contemplating retirement, Rodman, 36, instead decided to try to help the Bulls chase their third straight NBA title and sixth in eight years. Rodman, the six-time rebounding champion, reportedly will earn a base salary of $4.5 million with incentives that could push it to $10 million.

“The players and the people of Chicago, they gave me a lot, so I figured I might as well come back and give them one more year,” Rodman said in Deerfield, Ill. “The people of Chicago and the players . . . other than that, I wouldn’t have come back at all.”

With Scottie Pippen sidelined until at least January after undergoing foot surgery, it will be up to Rodman to help Michael Jordan keep the team winning, something which they discussed.

“I talked to Michael a couple of days here and there,” Rodman said. “He says, ‘Don’t leave me out here hanging dry.’ The guys gave me a lot of support. The least I can do is give something back.”

Though Rodman will accompany the team to Chapel Hill, N.C., for tonight’s exhibition game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he said he probably won’t play. He might play Saturday in the preseason finale at home against the Sacramento Kings.

Meanwhile, Jordan has recovered faster than expected from surgery to remove ingrown toenails and might play tonight at his alma mater, North Carolina.

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Detroit Piston forward Grant Hill will not play in the final two exhibition games because of surgery to remove an infected toenail, but he will be ready for the Oct. 31 season opener against the Washington Wizards, the team said. Hill also left practice early Thursday to get stitches for a minor cut above his right eyelid.