Bulls sign Tristan Thompson, waive Alfonzo McKinnie

The Chicago Bulls announced that the team has released forward Alfonzo McKinnie. Chicago also announced that it has signed veteran big man Tristan Thompson. In accordance with team policy, terms of Thompson’s contract were not disclosed. In his eleventh season in the NBA, Thompson (6-9, 254 pounds) owns career averages of 9.1 ppg (.518 from the field), 8.5 rpg (3.3 orpg) and 1.0 apg in 27.1 mpg. For his career, he has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. This season, he has appeared in 34 games (three starts) with the Kings and Pacers, and has tallied 6.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg (2.3 orpg) in 15.3 mpg. Thompson’s teams have also made five trips to the NBA Playoffs, including four consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals from 2015-18. In postseason play, he has played in 83 playoff games (70 starts) and posted 7.8 ppg (.566 from the field) and 8.6 rpg (3.8 orpg) in 29.6 mpg.
Source: NBA.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Chicago Bulls sign Tristan Thompson sportando.basketball/en/chicago-bul… – 4:29 AM

Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
The Bulls made things official with Tristan Thompson tonight, adding much-needed size to the roster.
Zach LaVine voiced enthusiasm about how the move reflects on aggression of the Bulls front office: “They’re going for it.”
trib.al/fy1lLXq – 11:38 PM

Tony East @TEastNBA
Tristan Thompson has cleared waivers and officially signed with Chicago. Alfonzo McKinnie was waived by the Bulls to clear a roster spot. – 10:57 PM

Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Tristan official …
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/2/1… – 10:54 PM

Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
#Bulls just made it official: Signed Tristan Thompson, released Alfonzo McKinnie. Totally overshadowing the dunk contest. – 10:51 PM

Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Zach LaVine has a quick exit from the 3-point contest, a Tristan Thompson update, Jimmy talks, and news from The King … all in one click. My brother Joe has gone crazy with these prices!!!
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/2/1… – 10:23 PM

Story continues

Tony East @TEastNBA
Story from yesterday on the Tristan Thompson buyout: forbes.com/sites/tonyeast… – 2:37 PM

Stephen Noh @StephNoh
Bulls sickos, here’s some Tristan Thompson highlights from the past year. pic.twitter.com/f4qd5WzOND – 11:16 AM

Tony East @TEastNBA
Pacers have officially waived center Tristan Thompson. His 4 game, 9 day stint with the team is over. – 5:12 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle: Pacers center Tristan Thompson signing with Bulls nba.nbcsports.com/2022/02/17/pac… – 11:01 AM

Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Veteran center Tristan Thompson scored a season-high 17 points last night in a Pacers win … and what was his final game with the team.
“Hell of a way to go out, huh?”
fieldhousefiles.substack.com/p/thompson-to-… – 10:32 AM

James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Say whatever you want about Tristan Thompson’s four-game stint with the #Pacers, but one thing is for certain: He’ll always be attached to the first win of a new era in Indiana.
“Even though my time was short, I appreciated every minute of it.” indystar.com/story/sports/n… – 9:51 AM

Darnell Mayberry @DarnellMayberry
DeMar DeRozan makes NBA history — and Tristan Thompson is on his way to Chicago
via @TheAthletic theathletic.com/3135088/2022/0… – 9:19 AM

More on this storyline

Shams Charania: The Chicago Bulls are waiving forward Alfonzo McKinnie, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The move creates roster space for signing of Tristan Thompson. McKinnie played 17 games for Bulls this season – and now will be playoff-eligible to join a new team. -via Twitter @ShamsCharania / February 19, 2022

Keith Smith: Tristan Thompson gave up $774,289 in his buyout with the Indiana Pacers. That’s roughly the amount Thompson should recoup when he signs a prorated veteran minimum deal with the Chicago Bulls for the remainder of the season. -via Twitter @KeithSmithNBA / February 18, 2022

The Indiana Pacers announced today they have waived Tristan Thompson. The Pacers roster currently stands at 16. -via NBA.com / February 17, 2022