CHICAGO -- General manager Gar Forman is still hopeful the Chicago Bulls can work out an extension with Luol Deng.

"We value Luol a lot," Forman said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" Tuesday on ESPN Chicago 1000. "And Luol is a big piece of the success we've had the last several years though we haven't gotten to our ultimate goal. We think Luol is going to continue to be a big piece, a big part of what we're doing. I know a lot was said about that we couldn't come to an extension last summer but if you guys really study the NBA, especially since this new CBA -- going into the CBA and since the new CBA has been in effect, it's very, very rare that extensions get done so the fact that one didn't get done was not an indicator of where we're at with Luol at all."

Deng, who is in the final year of his contract, couldn't get an extension worked out last summer. He told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard earlier this year that he would like to retire as a Bull but his name has surfaced as a possible trade target given the fact that the Bulls' championship aspirations evaporated when Derrick Rose went down with another knee injury.

"Lu is valued here and continues to be a big part of what we're doing," Forman said. "Obviously once we get into the offseason we're going to have to sit down with Luol and have to come to terms on another contract, but Luol is a big piece of what we're doing, and he has been, and our feeling is he'll continue to be."

Forman acknowledged that teams have been calling about some of the Bulls' pieces after Rose went down.

"The phone's ringing," Forman said. "And that's other front offices' jobs and our job to stay in touch with people and get a feel for what the market is and get a feel for who may be available and what teams are trying to do. Just like in any sport, there's buyers and there's sellers, so [we're] just trying to get a feel for what's going on out there. But I wouldn't say a whole lot more than usual."