Goran Dragic Signed With the Chicago Bulls During the Free Agency

Jul 5, 2022

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The Chicago Bulls and point guard Goran Dragic reached an agreement Sunday on a contract in free agency. Per report, the deal is for one year with $2.9 million.

Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors last offseason but made just five appearances for them before stepping away in November for personal reasons.

The 36-year-old returned to the NBA in February after signing with the Brooklyn Nets, a move that came after he was acquired and waived by the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the trade deadline.

In spite of the truncated season, he is only one year removed from a highly productive campaign as a role player for the Miami Heat. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 threes while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc in 2020-21.

Dragic has also played for the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets across 14 NBA seasons. His career accolades include winning the 2014 Most Improved Player Award with the Suns and his only career All-Star selection with the Heat in 2018.

After the Nets were eliminated from last season’s playoffs, the 6’3” guard confirmed he wanted to keep playing for a while longer.

“I need time to process this, so it’s tough to say right now,” the Slovenian told reporters in April. “I love basketball and still want to play another two or three years, so we’ll see what happens.”

In all, he averaged 13.7 points, 4.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds across 888 career appearances.

Dragic is a solid bet to bounce back in 2022-23, which would allow him to provide an offensive boost for the Bulls as a distributor and three-point shooter.

Chicago’s starting guards are set with Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine, who agreed to a five-year max extension on Friday, locked in.

Adding Dragic to the bench mix with Alex Caruso and Coby White gives head coach Billy Donovan more flexibility and insurance to protect against injuries.

One reason the Bulls faded down the stretch last season was that they could not keep key players on the court. Ball and Caruso combined to play in 76 games during the regular season.

Dragic comes with his own significant injury concerns, but his offensive upside is worth the low-risk deal he is set to receive from the Bulls.

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