The Chicago Bulls have waived veteran center Jerome James and signed forward Rob Kurz for the remainder of the season. James came to the Bulls in a trade with the New York Knicks in February 2009, but never appeared in a game for Chicago because of a right Achilles tendon he ruptured earlier that season.

Kurz, a former Notre Dame player, averaged 17.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in 39 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. He also played for Golden State during the 2008-09 season, averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 40 games.

And no one was left unmoved. Maybe he’ll now find the time to go pay for his bling.

Jerome James is accused of dropping the ball when it came to paying off a 6.91 carat diamond engagement ring — and now the jeweler is out for revenge.

In the civil suit, filed in L.A. Superior Court today, Lemmerman’s Inc. claims James bought a $70,000 engagement ring in 2008. The jeweler claims Jerome paid $50,000 up front and promised to pay the balance.

And there’s more — according to the docs, Lemmerman’s maintained a credit account for James … who allegedly racked up a grand total of $96,000 in bling-related purchases.

The jeweler claims the seven-foot Bulls backup hasn’t made a payment since January 2009.

Fun fact: Jerome James ruptured his Achilles tendon in January 2009, and hasn’t played one minute for the Bulls this season.

The man they call “Big Snacks” likes big bling too, but apparently not big debt. The more important question is this: what will be your best memory of the Jerome James era?