Recent History of Bulls’ Late-Season Signings
It’s funny how a team’s fortunes can change after the All-Star break because it added someone who wasn’t there before. It also is funny how a player can find himself without a team only to have someone scoop you up because that team has a roster opening that needs to be filled. That’s what happened this year with Patrick Beverley and his hometown Bulls.
With the Bulls badly missing Lonzo Ball and struggling to fill the hole left by him, they turned to Beverley, who became a free agent after being part of a four-team trade. The results were immediate as Billy Donovan put him right in the starting lineup to help change the fortunes of a team that was struggling just to stay in the Play-In Tournament picture. The Bulls went 14–9 after the All-Star break, and it was enough to guarantee that the season would last beyond 82 games. Beverley changed the team’s identity and culture, and everyone became better off for it.
Beverley only is the latest in a history of late-season signings for the Bulls. Some have made more of an impact than others, and there hasn’t necessarily been a common trend for why they were needed in the Windy City, although most of them were added for playoff depth. Here are some of the recent names who didn’t join the Bulls until most of the season was done:
Patrick Beverley (2023)
5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 39.5 FG% in 22 games
Tristan Thompson (2022)
5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 56.5 FG% in 23 games
Walt Lemon Jr. (2019)
14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 43.7 FG% in six games
Sean Kilpatrick (2018)
15.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 43.9 FG% in nine games
Jimmer Fredette (2014)
4.0 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 44.8 FG% in eight games
Malcolm Thomas (2013)
1.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 55.6 FG% in seven games
Rasual Butler (2011)
2.7 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 54.5 FG% in six games
