NBA Rumors: Tristan Thompson expected to sign with Chicago Bulls
When Tristan Thompson was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers as part of the bigger Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis deal, the expectation was that he would be bought out by the team and seek to sign with a contender ahead of the playoffs.
And that’s exactly what will reportedly happen.
And according to a Shams Charania, the expectation is that Thompson will sign with the Chicago Bulls once he has cleared waivers.
The Indiana Pacers will waive center Tristan Thompson, coach Rick Carlisle says. Thompson will sign a new deal with the Chicago Bulls after he clears waivers.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 17, 2022
Thompson, in his 12th season in the league, is averaging six points and five rebounds per game. In the short minutes that he was awarded, both with the Kings and Pacers, he proved to be productive.
It’s unclear what role he’ll be able to carve out with Chicago, but the potential is there for him to be productive. He’ll bring the Bulls some much-needed depth to the roster, especially in the frontcourt in preparation for the playoffs.
With eyes on the likes of Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Evan Mobley, and Bam Adebayo, the Bulls would be smart to pile up all the help in the frontcourt that they can find. They’re going to need bodies, specifically defenders, to try and keep up with each of those teams.
If the Bulls want to make a deep playoff run, they needed to beef up the frontcourt. With the addition of Thompson, they’ll already begun to do that. It’ll be interesting to see if they make another move that would help on that front in the playoffs.
So far this season, the Bulls have done well in surviving and overcoming injuries. Heading into the NBA All-Star break, the Bulls are tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Miami Heat with a 38-21 record. There’s no question that the Bulls will be a strong force in the playoffs this season and have a huge hand in who comes out of the East.