Pippen retirement expected Tuesday

According to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times, Pippen has one year worth $5 million left on the two-year deal he signed last year. He previously told the Times that he would not waive that salary, forcing the Bulls to buy out the final year.

Pippen spent 12 seasons in Chicago and helped guide the Bulls to six NBA Championships in the 1990’s. He was named an All-Star seven times while he played for the Bulls.

The 39-year-old Pippen was an unrestricted free agent after the 2002-03 campaign and returned to the Bulls. Injuries limited him to just 23 games last season for Chicago.

The 17-year veteran agreed to come back and re-sign with Chicago so he could end his career where it first started and help mentor the young players currently on the Bulls.

Pippen left the Bulls on bad terms after the 1998 season following their sixth title in eight years. After head coach Phil Jackson left and Michael Jordan retired for the second time, Pippen was sent to Houston in a sign-and-trade deal by former general manager Jerry Krause. Chicago acquired Roy Rogers and a conditional second-round draft pick for Pippen.

The Central Arkansas product spent the 1999 campaign in Houston where he averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

Pippen, who was named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players, was then traded to Portland on October 2, 1999 for Walt Williams, Stacey Augmon, Kelvin Cato, Ed Gray, Carlos Rogers and Brian Shaw. He had spent the past four seasons in Portland.

Pippen was drafted with the fifth overall choice by Seattle in 1987, but his draft rights were immediately traded to Chicago in exchange for Olden Polynice and future draft picks.

He was a member of both the 1992 and 1996 gold medal-winning United States Olympic Basketball Teams. Pippen has also been named to the All-NBA First Team three times as well as being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team a total of eight times.

For his career, Pippen has averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 1,178 contests. In 208 career playoff games, Pippen averaged 17.5 points, 7.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds.