After 15 years in the NBA, Luol Deng is calling it a career, and the former All-Star wing made sure to retire with the team that turned him into one of the best two-way players in the league. The Bulls announced that they signed Deng to a contract on Thursday so he could retire as a member of the team with which he spent 10 seasons.
OFFICIAL: @LuolDeng9 to retire as a Chicago Bull.
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— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2019
Chicago acquired Deng, the No. 7 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, from the Suns in exchange for a first-round pick that was used to draft Nate Robinson (who they later traded to the New York Knicks) and Jackson Vroman. Suffice to say, the Bulls came out of that trade alright. In his 10 seasons with the Bulls, Deng made two All-Star games, an All-Defensive team, and averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal per game. He also led the league in minutes per game twice during that time, thanks in no small part to Tom Thibodeau.
Deng’s most successful years with the Bulls came in the early 2010s, when the team’s core of Deng, Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah was seen as the biggest threat to beat LeBron James and the Miami Heat and make the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the farthest Deng ever got was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, when the Bulls lost to the Heat in six games. Deng also suited up for the Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers, and Timberwolves over the course of his career, and in addition to his ability on the floor, was revered for his pursuits off the floor, winning the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2014.
