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 Thursday, August 3
Bulls are Mercer's fourth team in short career
 
 Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Ron Mercer didn't get the high-profile VIP treatment afforded Tracy McGrady and Eddie Jones when they came to town to visit the Chicago Bulls. He wasn't considered one of the marquee free agents the team coveted in its overhaul.
Ron Mercer
Ron Mercer now has a team to give his scoring prowess to.

But while McGrady, Jones and Grant Hill are headed elsewhere and Tim Duncan is staying in San Antonio, Mercer is joining the rebuilding Bulls. He agreed to a contract Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although the Chicago Tribune reported in its Wednesday editions that the deal is for $27 million over four years.

The 6-foot-7 Mercer will be with his fourth NBA team in four seasons. He played his first two years with the Boston Celtics, was traded to Denver and then dealt to Orlando last season, when he averaged 16.9 points. The Bulls also met Tuesday with free agent center Brad Miller.

But the big-name players they hoped to lure apparently got away. They wined and dined both McGrady and Jones, greeting them at the airport with music and dancers, taking them on a yacht ride and to baseball games where they threw out the ceremonial first pitches. Jones was on his way to Miami on Tuesday after a trade from the Charlotte Hornets. Hill and McGrady were expected to sign with Orlando. And Duncan and Tim Thomas, who weighed a lucrative offer from Chicago, said they would stay put in San Antonio and Milwaukee, respectively. That left general manager Jerry Krause and the Bulls with none of the big names they had hoped to lure with nearly $20 million available under the salary cap. Terms of Mercer's deal were not immediately available.

Bulls' lineup
PG Jamal Crawford
SG Ron Mercer
SF Ron Artest
PF Marcus Fizer
C Elton Brand
Mercer, 24, who helped Kentucky reach the Final Four in each of his two college seasons, will join the Bulls' young core of players led by co-Rookie of the Year Elton Brand. In 189 NBA games, Mercer has averaged 16.2 points. He made the NBA All-Rookie team in 1998, averaging 15.3 points for Boston. In his second season, he averaged 17 points.

The Bulls have a long road back. In the two seasons since they won their sixth NBA title, the Bulls have played 132 games and won just 30.

Krause wasn't available for comment Tuesday. Earlier, he said: "I don't worry about the naysayers. I know what we've done. I know what our purpose is. We're very confident we'll continue that (winning tradition)."

Meanwhile, ESPN's David Aldridge reports that guard Randy Brown became the final Bulls player from the championship teams to leave the squad, agreeing with the Celtics on a three-year, $7.5 million deal.

 


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 Ron Mercer will be a good addition to the Bulls, according to Magic Senior VP Pat Williams.
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