E'Twaun Moore is coming home.
The East Chicago, Ind. native, a veteran of three NBA seasons, signed with the Bulls on Thursday in a move that adds depth to the team’s backcourt.
“It’s definitely an honor to be here,” said Moore, who played collegiately at Purdue, after signing his deal. “Being from East Chicago, I grew up watching the Bulls. My whole family was watching them too so it is special to be here with the opportunity to play for my hometown team.”
Moore said Cleveland and Memphis were among the other teams he considered. But the chance to play in Chicago was too enticing to pass up.
“The Bulls are a team I’ve definitely wanted to play for my whole life,” Moore said. “But I also considered the roster and the coaching staff. It’s always good to go to a winning program. We’re going to have a good team with a winning mentality. We’ve got a great coach and it’s easy to see how hard this team plays. At the end of the day, though, nothing beats being in Chicago.”
General Manager Gar Forman noted that Moore has proven himself in the league while also showing there is room for improvement.
“E’Twaun is a young guard who we really like and he’s got a lot of potential,” said Forman. “He’s shown that he’s got some versatility given he can play at both the one and two. He can also shoot the ball. We feel he’s absolutely our kind of guy—he’s a worker and we are confident he’ll be a good fit with our roster.”
With career averages of 6.2 points, 1.8 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 18.3 minutes, Moore feels he has learned the ropes of the NBA and developed the mentality it takes to stick around.
“I’ve learned how to be a professional, coming in ready to work hard every day and keeping your head up through wins and losses,” said Moore, the 55th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, of one season in Boston and two in Orlando. “I just want to keep growing and keep getting better. It’s a never-ending process to keep trying to improve each and every year.”
Listed at 6-4, 191, Moore has played at both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Though he considers shooting guard to be his natural position, having played it in his younger years, the time he’s spent at point guard with the Celtics and Magic should have served him well, he explained.
“I feel comfortable playing either position,” said Moore. “I try to be versatile and will do whatever it takes to get me minutes on the court. I’ve played more at shooting guard over my life, but ever since I’ve been in the NBA, I’ve played a lot of point guard, especially in Boston. Now, I feel just as comfortable playing the point as any other position.”
As Moore settles back in to a city knows well, he’s getting acclimated to new teammates and a new organization. So far, he likes what he sees.
“We’ve got a great group of guys, a great team,” said Moore. “Derrick [Rose] is very explosive and Joakim [Noah] brings a lot of energy. I think it will be easy to fit in and play off those guys. I just need to knock down open shots. We’ve got a lot of shooters with guys like Doug [McDermott] and [Nikola] Mirotic, so I’ll get them the ball when they’re open and just play ball, let the game come to me.”