Bulls Rumors: Shaquille Harrison Lands 1-Year Contract to Return to Chicago

The Chicago Bulls have re-signed guard Shaquille Harrison on a one-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Harrison, 25, averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 73 games last year (19.6 minutes per contest).

Harrison isn't a particularly threatening offensive player, but he made his mark on the defensive side of the ball last season, as Mark Strotman of NBC Sports noted:

That makes him a solid backup for Zach LaVine and a player who will battle for minutes with Denzel Valentine and potentially Kris Dunn and rookie Coby White, depending on how the Bulls work out their rotation.

The Bulls do have 16 players under contract, however, which means somebody will need to either be released or traded before the season.

But Harrison's defense alone should give him a role with the Bulls next season. And the Bulls quietly look like they could compete for the 8-seed in an Eastern Conference that has solid teams at the top but doesn't possess the quality depth down the standings, like its Western counterpart. 

Chicago has made solid moves this offseason, from signing veterans in Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky to drafting a high-upside combo guard in White. 

Bringing back Harrison will give the team a solid specialist off the bench, and one who could carve out significant minutes for himself if he improves on the offensive end.