The Chicago Bulls bulked up their frontcourt with the addition of free agent Torrey Craig, reportedly signing the forward to a 2-year contract Monday .
Craig is a versatile 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns last season.
A seasoned player with six years experience, he has mostly come off the bench in his career, but logged critical playoff minutes for the Suns and Denver Nuggets the past five postseasons. Although he is not a prolific 3-point shooter, Craig shot 39.5% from behind the arc on 3.2 attempts per game last season.
The Bulls needed to add at least one more player to the frontcourt to absorb the loss of Derrick Jones Jr., who declined his player option last week. Although the team with the power forward position in mind, the front office made it clear the rookie will not be an immediate addition to the rotation.
Here are the other moves the Bulls have made so far in free agency.
Jevon Carter joins on a 3-year contract, while Patrick Beverley departs
The Bulls brought in their first new veteran player of the summer when NBA free agency opened Friday, signing guard Jevon Carter to a three-year deal, .
After two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Carter hit free agency after declining his player option. He reportedly signed a $20 million contract with the Bulls.
Carter, 27, this offseason. He’s a consistent contributor — logging 81 games last season — and brings a hardened edge to the perimeter that should mesh quickly with a Bulls defense that finished fifth in the league last year.
Most importantly, Carter could be a game changer as the Bulls attempt to break out of their position as the worst 3-point shooting team in the league. Carter shot 42.1% behind the arc last season and took 4.2 attempts per game off the bench — a number that would have placed him third on the Bulls.
This signing will be a homecoming for Carter, who .
The addition of Carter essentially replaces another Chicagoan, veteran guard Patrick Beverley, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported Saturday.
Beverley, 34, averaged 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 22 games for the Bulls last season after . The 76ers will be the Marshall alumnus’ sixth NBA team.
Coby White returns on 3-year deal
Guard Coby White will remain in Chicago after signing a 3-year, $40 million deal, . The signing continues another offseason in which the Bulls front office claim to be focused on continuity as they seek to retain the bulk of the roster from last year’s 40-42 season.
A 36.7% career 3-point shooter, White mostly averaged career lows (9.7 points, 23.4 minutes) last season. But those numbers belied White’s largest year of growth, which saw him bulk up his ballhandling and defensive acumen to provide the Bulls with a more complete guard option off the bench.
White’s role has fluctuated heavily ever since he was , ranging from starting point guard to secondary rotation shooter to versatile playmaker. Coach Billy Donovan suggested White could take up the point again next season, although Carter’s acquisition could mean the guard will remain in an off-ball role.
Andre Drummond exercises player option
Backup center Andre Drummond exercised his player option Thursday to return, bolstering the Bulls around the rim in a key secondary rotation position.
Drummond’s minutes were inconsistent in his first season as a Bull, sometimes sitting out as a coach’s decision for multiple games in a row only to log more than 20 minutes in a game the following week. But he made the most of his time on the court, averaging 6.6 rebounds and six points in 12.7 minutes.
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