Bulls sign Goran Dragic to one-year, $2.9 million contract

The Bulls have signed Goran Dragic to a one-year, $2.9 million contract. His NBA salary is part of the mid-level exception. In the 2021-22 NBA season, in 21 games played, Dragic averaged 7.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He finished shooting 37.7% from the field and 25.4% from 3-point range.

The 14-year guard has been on four different rosters over the last year. Is Chicago his final team before retirement? Now, the Bulls have more depth in their backcourt. On August 6, 2021, along with Precious Achiuwa, the Heat traded Dragic to the Raptors for Kyle Lowry.

Of course, on February 10, the Raptors traded the guard and a 2022 first-round draft pick to the Spurs for Drew Eubanks, Thaddeus Young and a 2022 second-round draft pick. Then, Dragic was waived by San Antonio four days later after a contract buyout. And he agreed to sign with the Nets on Feb. 22 for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

On Mar. 16, the guard scored a season-high 21 points in the Nets’ 113-111 loss against the Mavericks.

On top of LaVine and Dragic, they also have Alex Caruso, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. On July 1, Zach LaVine re-signed with the Bulls on a five-year, $215 million max extension. Before the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls ruled out Lonzo Ball for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

Goran Dragic contributed on the Nets in the playoffs

During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Dragic averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game against the Celtics in the Nets’ first-round playoff series. He helped his team down the stretch. In Game 2, he scored 18 points in Brooklyn’s 114-107 loss to Boston.

The Bulls finished 46-36 (.561) last season and ranked sixth overall in the Eastern Conference. In April, the team clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the 2016-17 season, ending their five-year playoff drought.

However, the team lacked firepower offensively. DeMar DeRozan, LaVine and Nikola Vucevic needed more support in their first-round series versus the Bucks. The team was eliminated in five games. In Game 2, DeRozan scored 41 points in the Bulls’ 114-110 win over the Bucks.

Dragic has lost accuracy, but can he help the Bulls along the perimeter?

Dragic may have put up 21 points versus the Mavericks last season. Though, he’s not the same sharpshooter. The guard has declined over the last few seasons. One of his greatest league accomplishments was winning NBA Most Improved Player with the Suns in 2014.

Anyway, his best shooting over the past five years was displayed during the 2016-17 season, when he shot 47% from the field with the Heat. The guard averaged a career-high 20.3 points per game with Miami that season.

For another observation, Dragic is 36 years old. If he can stay healthy with the Bulls, the guard will be one of the best players off the bench for the team next season. His playoff performances last season were not a fluke.

The Slovenian received his only All-Star selection of his NBA career in 2018. Not to mention, he was selected 45th overall by the Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft but was then traded to the Suns. Other news stories concerning Goran Dragic or the Bulls are on the main page.