SEPTEMBER 28TH, 1:10pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release. Combined with the other two signings the team made today, Chicago has 18 players for training camp.
SEPTEMBER 17TH, 7:58am: The Bulls will sign four-year veteran Jordan Crawford to a non-guaranteed contract, giving the former first-round pick a chance to return to the NBA after an injury-riddled year split between China and the D-League, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The Bulls have only 13 contracts that are known to be guaranteed, as our roster count shows, ostensibly giving the Wasserman Media Group client a strong chance to stick for opening night, but Chicago traditionally carries fewer than 15 players at the start of the regular season.
Crawford averaged 29.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 33.5 minutes per game across five appearances for Xinjiang Guanghui in China this past season before suffering an eye injury that lingered for months. He recovered in time to sign with the D-League in March, joining the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, then a shared affiliate, for whom he once more put up strong numbers in a small sample size, notching 22.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 4.5 APG in 35.7 MPG over eight contests. His production was more muted in summer league for the Mavs squad in July this year, though again, that was only a tiny sample size of six games.
The 26-year-old who turns 27 next month had his best moments with the Celtics in 2013/14, when he started 35 games for an injured Rajon Rondo and proved he could handle the point despite having traditionally played on the wing. He put up 13.7 PPG and 5.7 APG against 2.2 turnovers per game in 30.7 MPG, but a midseason trade sent him to the Warriors, who failed to give him much playing time.
Chicago has Cameron Bairstow on a partial guarantee of $425K and offseason signee Cristiano Felicio, both of whom will compete with Crawford in camp to try to win their way to the regular season roster. The Bulls have a crowded backcourt, with Crawford pitted against six guards on fully guaranteed contracts — Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Tony Snell, Aaron Brooks, Kirk Hinrich and E’Twaun Moore — as former Nets executive Bobby Marks points out (on Twitter). That would bode well for Bairstow and Felicio, both of whom are frontcourt players.
Do you think Crawford will stick with the Bulls for the regular season? Leave a comment to tell us.
The Bulls could use scoring off the bench, so he seems like a basketball fit. He just needs to play within their new system. I’d put the odds at 50/50.
I think so he better then Kirk
Trade Kirk H. for a draft pick or cash It’s time for him to go he’s always injured and his jump shot is broke .
He’s retiring after this year, no point in trading him
I don’t think he’ll make the Bull’s roster … Way too much competition , ijs !!! #SEERED
Will keep, wont play kirk much
The bulls are very conservative with trades and free agents, however, it’s time for them to open up and keep him on the roster. He is your second point guard, can be very valuable to their new upbeat system.
Do you think he can be better than A Brooks?
He will be better than Brooks he is taller Brooks 6-0 he’s 6-4 big difference in getting to the rim.
He a scorer and the Bulls need him