Veteran Guard Kevin Huerter Hopes to Stay with Bulls Beyond This Season
Since joining the Chicago Bulls just before last season's trade deadline, guard Kevin Huerter has become one of the team’s most effective players in terms of plus/minus. Moving into his prime years, he hopes that his long-term future remains in Chicago.
Rising Impact and Team Role
Huerter, acquired in a three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings, has led the Bulls in plus/minus since his arrival. Now 27 years old and on his third team in five years, he finally feels like he’s found a place where he belongs.
Contract Questions Ahead
The challenge lies in whether the Bulls view him the same way. Head coach Billy Donovan has consistently voiced his appreciation for Huerter’s play and professionalism, but business decisions loom large. Huerter will be a free agent after this season, and with six other players — including Coby White and Nikola Vucevic — also on expiring contracts, financial realities could shape the team’s direction.
Player’s Perspective
“I just want to be a part of winning basketball at this point of my career,” Huerter said Friday. “Whether fans have liked it or not, Billy has preached that since I got here. Even when that [LaVine] trade happened, he was like, ‘I know who left the building. Are we going to be a team that folds, or are we going to try and make a push to the playoffs, get a little taste of that?’”
According to Huerter, the mindset and energy within the locker room have remained competitive, focused not on regression but on pushing for postseason contention.
Author’s Summary
Kevin Huerter, thriving since joining the Bulls, hopes his on-court impact and commitment to winning secure him a long-term spot in Chicago amid looming free agency decisions.