Tristan Thompson Officially Signs Bulls Contract After Release from Pacers

The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday that they have officially signed veteran center Tristan Thompson. In a corresponding move, the team released forward Alfonzo McKinnie.

Thompson was recently waived by the Indiana Pacers. 

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported earlier this week that the Pacers would waive Thompson and he would sign with the Bulls. 

The Pacers acquired Thompson from the Sacramento Kings at the Feb. 10 trade deadline. The deal also brought Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to Indiana. In return, the Pacers sent Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round pick to the Kings. 

Since spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thompson has bounced around the NBA. He spent the 2020-21 season with the Boston Celtics, where he averaged 7.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 54 games.

The Celtics traded Thompson to the Kings as part of a three-team deal after the 2021 NBA Draft. In 30 games with the Kings, he averaged 6.2 points and 5.4 rebounds. 

Adding Thompson to the mix in Chicago gives the team some added depth entering the final stretch of the regular season. He'll likely play behind starting center Nikola Vucevic and could also see time playing as a power forward.

The Bulls are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with a 38-21 record. They're competing with the Miami Heat (38-21), Philadelphia 76ers (35-23), Cleveland Cavaliers (35-23) and Milwaukee Bucks (36-24) for the top spot in the East.