Veteran Center Tristan Thompson Joins Bulls As They Return To Practice, Hopes His Experience Will Help Team

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Veteran big man Tristan Thompson will be playing for the Bulls for the first time Thursday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks – in hopes of a sixth straight win.

Thompson has championship experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and just as importantly, he provides some much-needed depth behind Nikola Vucevic for the Bulls.

"If you ask anyone that's played for me or been around me, I'm a vocal person. I'm going to say what's best for the team, because I've been part of a championship-level team, won a championship, been with Hall-of-Fame players and took stuff I learned from them, and I think it's only fair and right – in the game of basketball, you've got to pay it forward," Thompson said.

Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan will have some much-needed help, with Zach LaVine back and ready to roll after missing three games with a knee injury.