CHICAGO – The Bulls will be without one familiar face for much of the coming season, so they’re bringing back another to help fill the void.

Kirk Hinrich returned to the Bulls on Tuesday. The nine-year veteran rejoins the team that drafted him in 2003 and with which he played his first seven professional seasons.

“We went into this offseason, it was probably our biggest priority to get a combo guard,” Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. “He knows his teammates. We just think it’s going to be a perfect fit not just for the coming year, but for the future.”