"Saturday morning's 3:40 a.m. news conference in New York announcing a tentative agreement to end the NBA lockout will be memorable for years.

So, too, could be the league's plan to start a shortened, 66-game season with a Christmas Day tripleheader featuring, among other juicy matchups, the Bulls visiting the Lakers inside a star-studded Staples Center.

But with training camps and free agency tentatively scheduled to begin Dec. 9, pending expected approval from the league's owners and players, what Bulls fans want to know is: Who will be starting at shooting guard alongside Derrick Rose?

Granted, the new 10-year collective bargaining agreement, with potential opt-outs for either side after six years, carries greater sweep than that. Particularly because, once ratified, it will save a 2011-12 season that should build on the momentum from last season.

But while lockout rules prohibiting team officials from commenting or talking to players remain in place until the union re-forms to sign the collective bargaining agreement, short- and long-term effects for the Bulls can be gleaned.

The Bulls have roughly $64 million committed to 13 players for 2011-12, which is above a salary cap expected to remain near $58 million. They must decide whether to exercise their $1.73 million team option on starting shooting guard Keith Bogans, while Jannero Pargo's team option won't be picked up and John Lucas III is on a fully non-guaranteed deal."