NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls have made their second roster change in 24 hours.
After adding Patrick Beverley off the buyout market on Monday night, the Bulls will sign 23-year-old Terry Taylor to a two-way contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In conjunction, Malcolm Hill – who has claimed a two-way roster spot since last season – has been waived.
Taylor went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft before later signing with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the G-League. He eventually got the call-up from the Mad Ants affiliate, signing a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers in December. Terry went on to play in 33 games, which included appearances in 23 of Indiana’s final 25 regular season games during the 2021-22 season. Over that stretch, he scored in double figures 14 times and averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 23.8 minutes per game. He also shot a highly efficient 64.1 percent from the field.
One of Terry’s best performances of his rookie campaign (and of his young career) actually came against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 4, 2022. He dropped 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds (8 OREBs!) and 5 assists.
Fast forward to his second year with Indiana, and Terry struggled to carve out the same role. He’s only averaged 8.8 minutes during his 26 appearances this season for a Pacers roster that is jam-packed with young talent. The organization then waived him as part of some trade deadline activity on Feb. 9.
I’m not going to pretend like grabbing Terry is some kind of a massive steal, but I also do really like this signing for the Bulls. An undersized big man who fits the kind of positionless mold the Bulls seem to covet, he’s shown enough flashes as a small-ball roll-man, second-chance point-getter, and overall high-energy contributor to warrant a closer look.
Terry stands just six-foot-five but clocked 95 percent of his minutes last season and 79 percent of his minutes the year prior in the frontcourt. For a Bulls team that has already shown they like to use Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. in a similar way, their interest in Terry makes plenty of sense. Not to mention, Terry looks to be a significantly better rebounder with a far more physically imposing frame.
Again, I’m not implying that I expect Terry to make a significant impact over these final 23 games, but I do think there is a world where he can help this team. I also think it’s a smart move by the front office to get him in the gym now and take a look at him before the offseason strikes. Overall, it’s a low-risk, potentially solid-reward situation.
