The former Kings guard cleared waivers Saturday after being bought out by Sacramento, and a deal with the Bulls is already set, USA Today's Sam Amick reports. Terms of the agreement are not yet known.
Chicago is the third-worst shooting team in the NBA (42.8 percent) and the fourth-worst three-point shooting team (34.4 percent).
While Fredette isn't a lights-out scorer (5.9 points per game this season), he's efficient (47.5 percent shooting, 49.3 percent 3-point this season) and can help Chicago snap out of its shooting woes. The Bulls, battling for playoff positioning, are currently fourth in the East.
The third-year pro averages seven points and 15 minutes per game for his career.
Fredette dazzled at BYU, leading the nation in scoring at 28.5 points per game and guiding the Cougars to the final 16 in the NCAA tournament as a senior. He was the Associated Press' player of the year and the 10th pick in the 2011 draft, but he never lived up to his billing in Sacramento. The constant chatter about moving not to mention the fact that he played for three coaches and two ownership groups probably didn't help, and it was clear his time with the Kings was coming to an end when they decided not to pick up his option for 2014-15 before this season.
Chicago could be a good fit for him, given his ability to stretch the floor even if he's not exactly a top-tier defender.
Marco Belinelli and Nate Robinson weren't, either, but they flourished under Thibodeau last year and parlayed their success into contracts with other teams. D.J. Augustin is excelling this season, averaging 13.3 points since he signed with the Bulls in December after being waived by Toronto.
If Fredette can knock down shots and show some improvement on defense, he could find a role with the Bulls at least for the rest of the season.
IVERSON HONORED
Allen Iverson cupped his hand to his left ear and asked to hear his favorite tune one more time.
With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchise's all-time greats.
Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturday's game against Washington.
High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iverson's banner fit between Maurice Cheeks' No. 10 and Charles Barkley's No. 34.
"They all wanted me to talk about how much y'all loved me," Iverson said, "but trust me, the feeling was mutual."
Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on Stubhub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
Iverson's return injected a rare dose of excitement into a franchise playing some of the worst basketball in the league. The Sixers, in full-blown rebuilding mode, had lost 12 straight entering Saturday's game.
D-LEAGUE > NCAA?
Mark Cuban thinks the next Kevin Durant would be better off in the NBA Development League rather than the college of his choice.
The outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner says he can envision scenarios where the country's top basketball prospects would get drafted and play in the D-League rather than spend one season at an NCAA school.
Cuban says there's no reason for a player to attend college as a freshman "because he's not going to class, he's actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball."
The billionaire owner says his idea is not yet a well-researched proposal, just an opinion. He says agreements with colleges could still give players a shot at an education.
LeBRON'S MASK
LeBron James dispensed with his menacing black mask at the NBA's request and switched to a clear protective cover for the Miami Heat's game Saturday against the Orlando Magic.
The black mask made its debut Thursday in James' first game since he broke his nose. He said he received word from league officials Friday that they wanted him to instead wear something that would allow opponents to see his face.
"It's not a league rule, but it's the league's request that you don't wear the black one," James said before Saturday's game. "The reasons they told me didn't make sense to me, but I'm just a player. I will abide by the request."
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke Friday with Nick Arison, son of the team owner, about the matter. James said he didn't want to make a big issue of it.
"I'm good with the NBA," James said with a smile. "I am not against the NBA. I had a request, and I fulfilled it."
Teammate Dwyane Wade said he warned James the league would give the black mask a thumbs-down.
"I told him after Thursday's game, 'You have fun, because it ain't happening the next game,'" Wade said. "It was fun. A lot of attention, a lot of T-shirts are going to be made, a lot of Instagram posts. Now we move on to something else."
James agreed that the black mask was a marketing success, with feedback he received universally positive. He said he may give the mask to charity so it can be auctioned off.
"Everyone loved it," James said. "I got stuff, from 'You look very menacing,' to 'You look like a superhero,' to 'You look amazing.' A little bit of everything. No one told me it was terrible."
Not even league officials.
"I think they loved it as well," James said.
BUTLER TO THUNDER
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed Caron Butler.
Oklahoma City announced that they signed the 6-foot-7 forward on Saturday after he cleared waivers. He agreed to a contract buyout with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
The 33-year-old Butler won an NBA title with Dallas in 2011 and adds scoring to a team that expects to contend for an NBA title. He appeared in 34 games for Milwaukee this season, averaging 11.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. He has career averages of 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
The 10th overall selection in the 2002 draft, Butler has appeared in 47 career postseason games with averages of 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.45 steals.
Contributors: Tadd Haislop, The Associated Press
PHOTOS: Players in masks
