Bulls sign Martin to 10-day contract
MILWAUKEE — The Bulls were due to add a player after sending Luol Deng to Cleveland and releasing the guy they got in return, center Andrew Bynum.
They filled the roster spot by signing 6-foot-7 forward Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract. He was active for Friday's game against the Bucks, but did not play. He's been billed as a quality shooter since his college days.
The Houston native wasn't drafted out of Kansas State in 2007, but has been a steady presence in the NBA for the past six seasons. He was a solid backup for Washington the past four years, averaging 9.3 points in 2011-12. This season, he appeared in 25 games for Atlanta, but was waived this week before his contract became guaranteed for the full season.
“We're excited to have him,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before the contest. “He's worked his way into the league. He came up the hard way. We like that about him. He can play multiple positions and he's shown that he can shoot the three.”
Thibodeau said Martin would likely play only out of necessity, but with the Bulls, they never know when that next injury might occur.
“We'll get him acclimated,” Thibodeau said. “I think the sooner he gets here and gets started, the better. I think he's a good fit for us.”
Martin does have an indirect Bulls tie. He played his first three seasons at Kansas State for coach Jim Wooldridge, who was a Bulls assistant under Tim Floyd.
Teague keeps up Energy:Marquis Teague will remain with the D-League's Iowa Energy for now, coach Tom Thibodeau said. The second-year point guard has played in six games for Iowa so far, averaging 12 points and 5 assists.He had clunker Thursday against Springfield, missing all 6 of his shots to finish with 3 points and 3 assists. Before that, Teague scored 15 points in consecutive games, with a total of 16 assists, at the D-League Showcase in Reno, Nev.#8220;Right now we want him to keep playing. We think that's important,#8221; Thibodeau said. #8220;I think we're going to use (a D-League assignment) on Erik Murphy, too.#8220;I like what Marquis has done down there. He's had some good games. It gives him a chance to get into actual game situations, so I think it's been a big plus and I like what the result has been.#8221;Bull horns:Luol Deng played his first game for Cleveland on Friday, starting at small forward against Utah. He finished with 10 points and 1 rebound in 21 minutes as the Cavs won 113-102. #8230; This weekend's matchups feature the NBA's three lowest-scoring teams. The Bulls are last in at 91.4 ppg, Milwaukee 29th at 92.4 and Charlotte is 28th at 92.9. Fifteen NBA teams are averaging more than 100 points.