Veteran PG Goran Dragic Joins the Bulls

Goran Dragic with Slovenia national team
Goran Dragic with the Slovenia national team. Photo by Jussi Nukari/REX/Shutterstock (9044535b)

Veteran point guard Goran Dragic will play for the Chicago Bulls next season. The 2014’s NBA Most Improved Player inked a one-year deal, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.

Reportedly, Dragic, who split the past campaign between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets, will earn $2.9 million in 2022-23.

After spending more than six years with the Miami Heat and making an All-Star team in 2018, Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that saw Kyle Lowry head in the opposite way. The 36-year-old player played just five games in Toronto before agreeing to a contract buyout with the franchise.

Dragic saw a lot of interest when he hit the free-agent market but decided to join the Nets in an attempt to win a championship. Brooklyn would go on to have an early playoff exit, but the veteran Slovenian did manage to put together a solid stretch. He averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists during the postseason.

The Bulls were on the market for a reliable veteran addition in the backcourt this offseason, and getting Goran Dragic in the building for the reported price has to be their best-case scenario. Despite approaching the back end of his career, Dragic should provide value for Chicago while serving as a veteran leader in the locker room. His NBA career averages include 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.