Last time the Bulls acquired Tim Thomas from New York things did not turn out so well.  This time, the Daily Herald is reporting, they do not envision the same drama.

After arriving from New York as part of the Eddy Curry trade in 2005, Thomas was injured in the preseason, then complained that he wanted more minutes and was told to stay home after playing in just three games.

He eventually was released after the Bulls found no takers at the trade deadline. He played for Phoenix and the Clippers before being sent back to New York early this season.

While Scott Skiles, the former Bulls coach, had a problem with Thomas, Chicago's current coach Vinny Del Negro does not.

Del Negro spent two seasons as a teammate of Thomas in Milwaukee from 1998-2000 and felt optimistic that the 6-foot-10 forward will play a role this time around.

"I enjoyed playing with him," Del Negro said following Thursday's short practice at the Berto Center. "I expect him to be professional and do his job. He has the ability and skill level to help us in certain situations. I think it's a positive move for us."

General manager John Paxson agreed, reasoning that Thomas can help spread the floor with his 3-point shooting ability.

"I talked to him a little while ago and everything's fine," Paxson said. "Vinny's relationship with Tim will help. Bob Ociepka, one of our assistants, was with Tim in Milwaukee."

"In my opinion, it's a done deal. It's not even relevant to what happened a couple years ago. It's a totally different situation. He's excited to be here."