8 Difference-making players the Chicago Bulls signed past their prime

5. Thaddeus Young (2019)

During Thaddeus Young’s two-year stint with the Chicago Bulls, it was truly a tale of two different stories. In his first season in Chicago, Young struggled with his role, and that carried into his play on the court. He had one of the worst seasons of his career up to that point in which he averaged a career-low in field goal percentage and his lowest points per game output since his rookie season. The fact that Young was able to bounce back during his second year with the Bulls was a testament to both sides working to figure it out together.

Playing much better during year 2 in Chicago, Young averaged 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 56 percent shooting from the field while starting 23 games. In the end, Young was part of the sign-and-trade package that Chicago used to acquire DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs during the 2021 NBA offseason.

The change of scenery for Young probably worked out for the best as it was quite clear that he was past his prime and was no longer a huge difference-making forward that didn’t fit in with the new direction of the Bulls.