Bulls Rumors: Ex-Pacers SF Thaddeus Young Agrees to 3-Year, $41M Contract

Veteran forward Thaddeus Young agreed to a three-year, $41 million deal with the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

Young continued to be an effective presence at both ends of the floor in 2018-19. He averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 2.5 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc for the Indiana Pacers.

According to NBA.com, Young owned a career-high offensive rating (109.0), and he continued to provide solid defense. Opposing players shot 46.8 percent when matched up against him—including 35.1 percent on three-pointers.

Thaddeus Young Reel

Not surprisingly, Victor Oladipo's season-ending knee injury had a significant impact on Young and the Pacers as a whole. Prior to Oladipo going down, Young had a 5.7 net rating, per NBA.com. That number fell to minus-2.1 after the two-time All-Star was lost for the year.

Young had to alter his game as a result of Oladipo's injury. That meant attempting more mid-range and perimeter jumpers, which doesn't exactly play to his strengths.

Oladipo was injured in Indiana's 110-106 win over the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 23.

To that point, 80.4 percent of Young's field goals came within 10 feet of the basket and 15.7 percent were catch-and-shoots, per NBA.com. Over the remainder of the year, those numbers were 69.3 percent and 22.7 percent, respectively.

It speaks to Young's adaptability and leadership that he helped the Pacers maintain a relatively high level despite being without their best player.

Following the game in which Oladipo suffered his knee injury, head coach Nate McMillan credited Young with being a stabilizing force on the court, per Mark Montieth of the team's official website:

"That's our captain. He's been doing things like that all season long. Tonight he knew that we needed a lift from someone. He just took over. He was defending, he was rebounding, knocking down shots, doing it all. Communicating with the guys in the huddle (about) things we needed to do to stay together. He kind of willed us to this win. He pretty much did everything tonight."

Stylistically, Young is a power forward built for the modern-day NBA. On offense, he can create his own shots inside with a variety of post moves, or he can move off the ball until a teammate finds him for an open jumper. Defensively, he doesn't get exposed regularly by smaller guards and forwards when he's dragged away from the paint.

Between his obvious on-court production and less tangible yet still valuable influence on his teammates, Young can be a key piece in Chicago's starting rotation.

Although the Bulls are unlikely to be a playoff contender in 2019-20, Young's experience can be an asset in aiding the development of Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.