The Bulls have used their bi-annual exception in order to sign Tristan Thompson, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter links). The Bulls will be paying Thompson $1MM by using the BAE — a minimum contract for the remainder of the season would have been worth $774,289, Pincus notes.
The move is significant, because as the name suggests, the bi-annual exception is only available every other season — Chicago won’t have access to it in 2022/23. We project the BAE to be worth $4,017,000 next season. The Mavericks are the only other team to have used their BAE this season — they used it to sign Sterling Brown last summer.
The BAE is a way for a team to sign a player who may command more than the minimum salary, but less than the mid-level exception. Chicago already used its mid-level to sign Alex Caruso and Marko Simonovic last summer, so it wasn’t available for Thompson.
The BAE can be used for contracts up to two years, with a 5% raise after year one. It’s only available to teams that are over the cap and under the tax apron. In this case, it was used by the Bulls to ensure they could sign Thompson for the remainder of the season, as I’m sure other teams would have been interested in his services if he were only making the minimum.
Using the BAE on Thompson shows that Chicago is intent on competing for a championship this season and is willing to sacrifice future flexibility to do so. Thompson provides championship experience, leadership and rebounding for a team that lacked frontcourt depth.
The Bulls are currently 27th in total rebounds and 29th in offensive rebounds — areas Thompson has always excelled in. Among active players, he’s fifth in career offense rebounds and fourth in offensive rebounding percentage. He’s also tied for first all-time (with Dennis Rodman) for the highest career offensive rebounding percentage in the NBA playoffs.
With Donovan clearly not feeling comfortable enough with Bradley, Thompson is EXACTLY the type of player the Bulls needed.
Well, in a perfect world, they would have gotten someone that was a little better offensively, but in terms of pure offensive and defensive rebounding it don’t get any better than Thompson!!
He shouldn’t feel comfortable with Bradley because he’s awful
Clint Capela & Onyeka Okongwu would like to disagree… I think rebounding is gonna be a key to beating Chi if the Hawks see them in the playoffs in a few months. Tristan was a good pickup tho
Hawks are a joke, don’t misjudged one month or basketball with a good basketball team
It is kind of hard to be worst than CHI, just remember it makes no difference to win 45 or 60 games in the RS, as of right now ATL is a ECF team & CHI is a perennial looser that hasn’t made the playoffs in years!
The exclamation mark at the end is what really sold it for me.
That’s crazy I thought the Hawks were in 10th place just hoping for a little play in action. Your a funny man.
Wtf are you saying mate, Hawks were in the playoffs with one month of good basketball in a short season and now they suck. Did you enjoy last nights lose???
What do y’all bulls fans
Think of two way guy
Malcolm Hill thus far?
Thompson is BAE
I guess the Bulls took what was available. I’ve never been a fan of TT buutttt given the current option, this is a W.
Tristan Thompson is so overrated.
He cannot shoot,
He cannot pass,
He cannot dribble,
He is slow,
He cannot jump,
He cannot shoot FTs
He cannot guard bigger PFs and C, in fact they own him,
He can guard smaller bigs who are 6’8″ or 6’9″,
He can get you 5-8 rebounds per game.
Ask the Celtics how TT worked out.
Not good.
He is a buy out so you get what you pay for, but to think TT is going to come in and take over in a rotation is pure foolishness.
The guys is so overrated.
He also cannot hit a homerun or throw touchdown, yet he’s good rebounder and the heights you mentioned cover most people he will have to guard
There’s a reason he was bought out…they are not expecting him to be Michael Jordin
okay, but facts are he is an elite rebounder.
Solid pickup for a team that needs depth at his position. He brings playoff experience.
He’s 30 yrs old and avg 16 mins a gm this yr.
6.3 pts, 5.3 reb. He only helps the Bulls.
He wants money
Next year he would ask for 1 year deal at $10 million
And I hope he gets it. Somewhere else.
Great to teach offensive position
To Tony Bradley
Who, as he gains heft and experience
Could project with a good upside
TT can push Bradley into 6th man roll
Eventually
Put a fork in him,he’s done after this yr and will move to China to impregnate 3-5 more women.