After retaining last year's back-up center proved too expensive, the Chicago Bulls have officially inked a replacement.
The Bulls announced the signing of veteran center Nazr Mohammed on Friday. Mohammed, 34, will fill in the hole created when restricted free agent center Omer Asik departed after the Bulls opted not to match the Houston Rockets' 3-year offer sheet worth a reported $25 million.
Mohammed went to the 2012 NBA Finals as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11 minutes per game last season.
"Today is a bitter sweet day," Mohammed wrote on Twitter. "It sucks that I'm not going back to OKC but it's a dream come true to be going home to play for the Bulls."
Mohammed was raised in the Chicago area.
A 14-year veteran, Mohammed's NBA career has included stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats and the Thunder. The Bulls will be his eighth team.
The Thunder moved to replace Mohammed by agreeing to sign Hasheem Thabeet to a 2-year contract early during the July free agency period.
