Bulls will bring back Arcidiacono, add former Knicks big man
The Bulls continued to fine-tune their roster Tuesday, making a series of transactions. Point guard Ryan Arcidiacono agreed to return on a three-year, $9 million deal and the Bulls got a two-year commitment from former New York Knicks big man Luke Kornet.
It was no secret Bulls coach Jim Boylen appreciated Arcidiacono's style of play. The hard-nosed point guard probably led the team in loose balls recovered and charges taken by a wide margin. The Bulls rewarded that effort with a three-year deal. After playing mostly with the Windy City Bulls as a two-way player in 2017-18, Arcidiacono started 32 games for the NBA Bulls last season and averaged 6.7 points.
Like Arcidiacono, Kornet was a two-way player two years ago. A 7-foot-1 power forward from Vanderbilt, Kornet appeared in 46 games for the Knicks last season and averaged 7.0 points. He has the potential to be a stretch-four, having attempted 4.2 shots from 3-point range and connecting on 36.3 percent.
Kornet scored 14 points in the Westchester Knicks' playoff victory over the Windy City Bulls last spring. His father Frank played briefly in the NBA and was a college teammate of Bulls broadcaster Will Perdue at Vanderbilt.
These additions bring the number of players under contract to 15. It seems likely the Bulls will try to find a new home for Kris Dunn and there's a chance guard Shaq Harrison returns.
The Bulls also signed 6-5 guard Adam Mokoka to a two-way contract Tuesday. The Paris native played in Serbia last season, averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 assists. As a two-way player, he'll spend most of his time with the G-League's Windy City Bulls, but can be brought up to the NBA squad as needed.
The Bulls have yet to release their official summer-league roster, but one player who will be on it is former Loyola star Marques Townes. The 6-4 guard was one of the heroes of the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds last season.
Summer-league action in Las Vegas begins for the Bulls against the Lakers on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Draft picks Coby White and Daniel Gafford are expected to play.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls