Chicago Bulls make questionable move in Thaddeus Young

NBA Free Agency is underway and the Chicago Bulls have made their first move with a former Indiana Pacers forward.

The madness has officially begun. Although, we have known for about 24 hours where many of the NBA’s biggest signings would end up going. The Chicago Bulls got in on the action immediately after 5PM CST on Sunday as they agreed to terms with former Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young.

Young’s deal with the Bulls will be for three years and a total of $41 million.

The 31-year-old veteran has played for four teams over his 12-year career that started all the way back in 2007 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Last year, Young played a pivotal role in the Pacers’ playoff push.

Let’s start with some positives.

Over the course of his last four seasons, Young has been one of the most dependable players in the league. He has played (and started) all but 19 games over four seasons. Young is a durable guy, even after turning 30 years old last year.

He possesses a plethora of starting experience, which is ideal for the Bulls. Although, he will likely be coming off the bench in Chicago as Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter have the forward spots locked down.

The athletic veteran brings athleticism to the Bulls, as he has always been known for. He’s an above-average scorer, posting double-digit scoring in all but one of his career seasons. Meanwhile, he’s been a fine rebounder as well, putting up over six boards per contest last year for Indiana.

The problem with the signing, overall, is the money (shocker). Plenty of worse contracts are being given out as we speak, but Young’s deal is a little rich. $41 million over three years is too much for a guy like Young, who will play a reserve role in Chicago.

Depending on the concrete numbers and what Young’s salary will be this year, it could cripple the Bulls in terms of who else they may be able to sign this summer. An average of nearly $14 million per year is simply an expensive contract for someone coming off the bench — although Young will be a key cog in the rotation, for sure.

Do I hate the move? No, it’s not horrible. But, the front office surely could have made better use of that cash. Making a move like this (and so quickly) in free agency could come back to haunt them.