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Chicago Bulls' signing of Jevon Carter one of the "steals of the summer"
Experts have panned the Chicago Bulls' offseason moves, with a previous report even calling out the team for "blowing it" this past summer. However, one move the Bulls got right though, is the signing of tenacious guard Jevon Carter.
The West Virginia guard is coming off a stellar season playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he came off the bench and normed 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
With the Bulls missing Lonzo Ball for another full season, Carter figures to compete for a starting spot in training camp, with his relentless defense and deadeye shooting from deep making him a great fit in the Bulls' system.
Steal of the summer
Experts have criticized the Bulls' decision to run it back for another season, as they re-signed big man Nikola Vucevic to a fresh, three-year pact. Rather than reset the roster, the team decided it was best to give this core another shot, in turn bringing back many of the same faces from last season's squad. One new face is Carter, whom Spotrac's Keith Smith calls "one of the steals of the summer."
"We're generally used to the Chicago Bulls showing up on the other side of "best and worst" contract lists. But signing Jevon Carter to this contract was one of the steals of the summer," Smith wrote.
"Carter is arguably one of the best on-ball pests in the NBA. He doesn't do some of the flashy stuff that others do, but he's just always there," Smith continued.
Good fit
With the ball mostly in the hands of either DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine, it was critical to find a point guard who wouldn't dominate possessions and allow the Bulls' stars to get their touches. That's where Carter fits in — he does his job, but he doesn't need to be a primary scorer or ball-handler.
Carter is comfortable on the perimeter, making him a good fit for Chicago head coach Billy Donovan's system. He averaged a career-high 1.8 threes per game last season, which means he's capable of providing crucial floor-spacing that the Bulls need to open up driving lanes for their stars.
"In addition to his defense, Carter has become a very good shooter. He's a bit better on spot-up shots, but he's pretty dangerous off-the-dribble too. That's a nice mix of skills to have, considering he'll play a lot with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. For $6.5 million a year, or roughly half of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, that's a great value for the Bulls," Smith added.
