Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton signs for Chicago Bulls – NBA Update
The Chicago Bulls have secured the signature of free agent shooting guard Richard Hamilton, who bought out his contract with the Detroit Piston just two days ago.
The details of his contract are not yet clear, although it has been reported that the player will earn $10 million on a 2 year deal, with the team having an option for the third.
The Pistons are under a new management and had decided not to retain the services of Hamilton, who caused plenty of controversy last season by falling out with then coach John Kuester. The Bulls were delighted to get hold of a
player with the experience and calibre of Hamilton. Rip, as he is commonly known, won the NBA World Championship with the Detroit Pistons back in 2004 and is a three time All-Star.
"We are excited to welcome a player, and person, with the credentials of Richard Hamilton to our organization," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "Rip has been a winner at every level. His resume speaks for
itself, and we are confident that he will be an excellent fit with our team, both on and off the floor."
His arrival will surely be a boost to Chicago’s roster which has been crying out loud for a quality shooting guard. Last season, the Bulls topped the league in the regular season, but fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference
Finals. The lack of a credible scorer to pair with super star Derrick Rose was a clear deficiency in the team that was painfully exposed in the series against Chicago.
It was no surprise thus when Rose was all smiles about the signing of Hamilton, who has excelled in the role of a scoring shooting guard over a long career.
"He'll have to answer all of (the questions) right now," Derrick Rose said, laughing. "He's someone Chicago's been asking for, a two. I guess, a legit two. He's won a championship and his resume speak for itself."
Rose had a tremendous year last time out for Chicago as he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award. It was however clear that the mercurial point guard needed some help if he was to lead Chicago to an NBA World Championship.
The Bulls are hoping Hamilton can provide just that.
The player fits in with the ultra defensive philosophy brought to the franchise by head coach Tom Thibodeau as he has spent a number of years with defensive specialist coach Larry Brown.
He will also ease some of the scoring pressure on Derrick Rose and is adept at creating opportunities without the ball, meaning that Rose can still do most of the handling and dish off to Richard when a chance presents itself.
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