Bulls ink veteran forward Radmanovic to one-year deal
After a quiet start to the offseason, the Chicago Bulls made a little noise Thursday by signing their first free agent of the summer.
The Bulls signed 11-year-veteran Vladimir Radmanovic to a one-year deal, the terms of which have not been released.
The 6-foot-10 Serbian forward appeared in 49 games, including three starts, last season for the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.
Radmanovic, 31, was drafted No. 12 overall in 2001 by the Seattle SuperSonics and enjoyed his most productive season with the SuperSonics in 2003-04 when he averaged 12 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Charlotte Bobcats and the Golden State Warriors before signing with the Hawks last December.
Radmanovic will provide depth and an additional outside shooting presence with a career .416 field goal percentage and .380 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
He will join first-round draft pick Marquis Teague as the second member of an overhauled Bulls bench that has seen the departures of Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and potentially John Lucas III and Omer Asik in the coming days. Asik is expected to sign a three-year offer sheet with the Houston Rockets soon. The Bulls would have three days to match Houston’s offer.
Decision on Asik looming
Bulls restricted free agent Omer Asik is expected to sign his three-year $25.1 million offer sheet with the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Chicago will have three days to match the offer for the Turkish center that includes a back-loaded third year during which Asik would earn nearly $15 million for the 2014-15 season.
The Bulls are already on the hook for large salaries to Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer that season, however, Boozer is likely to be amnestied by then.
If the Bulls match, it will make them a luxury tax team for the first time in franchise history for at least the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
Back-up plan
The Bulls are reportedly exploring other big-men options for next season and, according to a Yahoo! Sports report, have expressed interest in signing veteran Darko Milicic.
The Minnesota Timberwolves used the amnesty clause to release the 7-foot center last week.
Milicic was the No. 2 overall selection by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft, but hasn’t lived up to lottery pick expectations, averaging just 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his nine-year career.