The Chicago Bulls wanted to add a veteran presence this offseason, and that’s exactly what they did on Friday night. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls have signed long-time NBA guard Garrett Temple to a one-year deal worth $5 million.
Free agent Garrett Temple has agreed to a one-year, $5M deal with Chicago, agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020
In all honesty, this isn’t exactly the route I thought the Bulls would take, but it’s hard to hate on the decision. Temple is the epitome of an NBA veteran as one of the most well-respected faces around the league. He is currently on the NBPA’s executive committee as a vice president, and he was instrumental in the creation of the league’s new NBA Foundation, which will work to invest in black communities and fight for racial equality.
In terms of his playing career, he spent all of last season with the Brooklyn Nets, where he appeared in 65 games and averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. He has played for a number of teams over the course of his 11-year playing career. The 34-year-old’s longest stint occurred with the Washington Wizards from 2012 to 2016, where he played alongside Bulls forward Otto Porter for several seasons.
How big of a role he’ll play on the Bulls is certainly TBD, but there is no question he can help Arturas Karnisovas and Billy Donovan build the culture they want on and off the court. The Bulls didn’t head into this offseason with all that much spending power anyone, so why not take a one-year flyer on a guy like Temple with such a young team? Plus, this deal tells us that Karnisovas and his front office are committed to evaluating these young players. The bulk of the load will fall on their shoulders this season, and that’s the way it should be.
In 576 career games, Temple has shot 34.7% from 3-point range and can contribute shooting and ballhandling in reserve role. https://t.co/ip5lx7JIQv
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 21, 2020
Temple is expected to put the Bulls at 15 guaranteed roster spots. The team could still move some pieces around or make a couple of trades that would allow them to add some new pieces, but only time will tell.