Rip It Up

Lost in the bigger headlines of Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s signing becoming official and the Bulls having to pay their first luxury tax in franchise history, the story of Rip Hamilton being waived seems small in comparison.  That doesn't mean it's any less important though.  In fact, it brings closure to one of the more disappointing Bulls tenures of the past few years.  The 78 games he played in over two years don't even cover a full season.  His team averages of 10.5 points and 2.6 assists were all right, but not enough to contribute to a team trying to win a championship.  Derrick Rose's ACL tear changed those expectations, but even when they were lowered, he still found himself in the doghouse by the time it was over, playing in just four of the 12 playoff games for the Bulls this past season.

I said upon his arrival this was a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bulls due to Hamilton's age.  He wasn't going to give you what helped the Pistons win the 2004 championship, but if he did enough, it might help push the Bulls past Miami.  Those low expectations turned out to be justified.  He made a few notable contributions in the regular season, but was a non-factor in the little postseason success the Bulls had during his tenure.  This year, as Ray Allen did enough to help Miami repeat as champions and Jimmy Butler emerged, it only supported the idea that Hamilton has not aged well enough to keep up with one of the best shooters in NBA history or retain a starting job over a young, upstart player.  There was really no reason to keep him around.  It only cost the Bulls a cool million to buy out his contract, so we can't call him a major bust.  Instead, they'll settle for buying a used product with shoddy results.

At 35, Hamilton might still be of service to an NBA team.  If he's hoping to sign with a contender however, he didn't do himself any favors recently.  To earn one last ring before hanging it up, he'll have to accept a role almost similar to Juwan Howard in Miami these past two years:  hanging out on the bench either in warmups or a suit.  More likely, he could sign with a younger team just looking for a veteran presence, not a playoff piece.  Then of course, you have to consider that this may be the end of the line for him.  His 9.8 scoring average this past season was his lowest since his rookie year.  Rather than wait for the bottom to fall out completely, other teams may pass or he could just simply retire.  Whatever happens, I wish him luck and hope he's happy with whatever comes his way.

Now that the Bulls have bid an aging two-guard farewell, let's see how they approach the remainder of the offseason.  They've already signed their two draft picks, so is there any money left for another veteran that could give solid minutes?  There might be, but don't be surprised if this is it either.  You just never know where the free agency period can go and that's what makes it entertaining.