Bulls to sign veteran point guard Goran Dragic originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
A pattern has formed to the Chicago Bulls’ free-agency plans after retaining Zach LaVine. Target veterans.
After receiving a verbal commitment from center Andre Drummond and targeting Boston Celtics-bound Danilo Gallinari, a league source confirmed that the Bulls on Sunday agreed to terms with point guard Goran Dragic. The deal is for one year and $2.9 million, a source said.
There are myriad ways to view the signing of Dragic, 36, who played 21 games for the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets last season, his 14th.
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The veteran certainly can improve the Bulls’ shooting, which management stated as an offseason priority. He’s a career 36.2 percent 3-point shooter on 3.4 attempts over 888 career NBA games and has connected at 46 percent overall from the field.
When healthy, Dragic is a proven scorer in either a starting or reserve role, the latter of which he’ll play for the Bulls unless he serves as an emergency starter for Lonzo Ball. Dragic is a career 13.7 points-per-game scorer in 27.9 minutes, while also averaging 4.8 assists.
But the move certainly calls into question management’s confidence in Ball’s long-term ability to stay healthy, while doing nothing to quiet a potential trade of Coby White at some point.
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The Bulls’ roster is loaded with guards. And while management rebuffed offers for White leading up to the draft while sticking to its asking price of a young player and draft pick, Dragic’s arrival could make White expendable again for the right place. They play similar roles.
It won’t be now, as this is expected to be the roster that’s carried into training camp.
Dragic’s arrival will be a boon for White and Ayo Dosunmu, who can learn plenty from the veteran. He is known as a consummate professional and teammate, which is why close friend Nikola Vucevic played such a significant role in helping recruit Dragic. The two share a representative in Bill Duffy.
As for Ball, general manager Marc Eversley deferred on draft night when asked directly if Ball, who has been sidelined since January, could play if the season were ongoing now. While Eversley said Ball, who underwent meniscus surgery in January, is progressing in his rehabilitation from the bone bruise that predated his surgery, his long-term health remains a question mark.
The Bulls sit at 15 contracts now after also re-signing forward Derrick Jones Jr. Dragic’s signing also underscores the desire for core continuity that management has espoused since standing pat at the trade deadline. He’s just a solid veteran who can contribute in any role, while playing seamlessly along Vucevic, LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
And who can forget his long-ago tie-in to the Bulls? Derrick Rose famously dunked on Dragic in January 2010, prompting broadcaster Stacey King to go nuts on the broadcast and Dragic and Rose to share a laugh about the play over the years.
Now, Dragic is a Bull.
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