Making the trip north from Chicago to the Bradley Center for each of the Milwaukee Bucks' home games next season will be the parents of Bobby Simmons, who officially joined the team Monday.

Absent from those visits will be one of Simmons' three brothers, Shawn Powell, a 23-year-old who was killed in a drive-by shooting last month in Chicago.

His brother's slaying, Simmons said Monday, was as much of a factor in his decision to sign a five-year, $47 million free-agent contract as the Bucks' ambition of qualifying for the playoffs next season.

"It's hard," said Simmons, 25, who was raised in Chicago and played college basketball at DePaul. "That's why I decided to stay closer to home.

"It's great for me to be here. I feel like (my parents) can reach out to me whenever they want to."