The Chicago Bulls have decided to bring Kenneth Lofton Jr. on board with a one-year deal.
Loftonโs Contract Details
Reports suggest that Lofton’s contract is likely a non-guaranteed minimum-salary agreement. Over his 45 NBA games, he has averaged 4.8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, playing about 8 minutes each time. His shooting stats include nearly 50% from the field and about 32% from three-point range.
Early Career Highlights
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 275 pounds, Lofton went undrafted in 2022 after playing for Louisiana Tech but then signed with Memphis. In his rookie season with the Grizzlies, he played in 24 games and posted career highs of five points and just over two rebounds per game while shooting impressively well both from the floor and beyond the arc.
Free agent F/C Kenny Lofton Jr. is signing a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lofton will compete for a roster spot in training camp. He has played 45 games across two NBA seasons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
In an April game against Oklahoma City Thunder last year, Lofton scored a career-high of 42 points on excellent shooting percentages. This performance made him stand out as he became the first player since official records began to post such numbers in their first career start.
Recent Moves
Despite these highlights, Memphis waived him late last year after his performance dipped. He briefly joined Philadelphia but only appeared in two games there. However, during a short stint with Utah Jazz this March, he averaged nearly 14 points per game along with solid contributions in rebounds and assists.
Fans think this could be a good move for Chicago!
Utah let him go before his salary could get partially guaranteed for next season. Now it seems like Chicago sees potential value in adding Lofton’s skills to their roster.
Among players to debut since starts were first officially tracked in 1970-71, Kenneth Lofton Jr. is the first to post a 40-point, 10-rebound game in his first career start.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo)
Bullsโ Roster Situation
Currently, Chicago has filled up most of its roster spots with guaranteed contractsโ14 players are already secured under standard deals while Onuralp Bitim holds a non-guaranteed spot. If Lofton impresses during training camp, he might just snag that final place on the team or even take up one of their two-way slots if specific contract conditions are met.
Letโs see how things unfold for Kenneth Lofton Jr.!
