Bulls Waiving Alfonzo McKinnie To Make Room For Tristan Thompson

The Bulls are waiving small forward Alfonzo McKinnie in order to make room on the roster for Tristan Thompson, according Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Thompson, 30, was waived by the Pacers earlier in the week and will officially sign with the Bulls. He appeared in just for games with Indiana after a deadline-day trade with the Kings.

McKinnie, 29 , signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on Dec. 10, then a second 10-day deal on Dec. 20. He signed a standard contract on Dec. 26, appearing in 17 games with Chicago overall.

As Charania wrote, the Bulls’ decision to waive McKinnie know makes him eligible for the playoffs should he sign with another team soon. He has also spent time with the Cavaliers, Lakers, Warriors and Raptors.

Free agents must sign with teams by March 1 to be eligible for playoff rosters, so McKinnie definitely will have time to find a new home after waiting the 48 hours to clear waivers.

Thompson, of course, has championship experience as a teammate of LeBron James and the 2016 Cavaliers. He sort of got lost in the shuffle with the Kings, but  showed that he can still be a pesky defender and rebounder in his four appearances with Indiana.

He has been traded three times since leaving the Cavs for the Celtics in the 2020 offseason.

“Known Tristan for years. Great dude. Championship experience,” Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan said, via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Good friend of mine. Got the utmost respect for him off the court. Obviously, we all know what he brings on the court. Think it will be great addition for us. Veteran leadership.”