“We are pleased to have signed Joe Smith. He is a proven veteran, whose style of play matches ours,” said Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson. “We look for him to come in and play his game, and at the same time, help our team improve upon last season.”

Smith (6-10, 225), 31, is a 12-year NBA veteran and has played in Golden State, Philadelphia (twice), Minnesota (twice), Detroit, Milwaukee and Denver. He admitted he was very comfortable as a 76er, and said the decision to leave for the Bulls was a tough one.

“I really had a lot of fun in Philadelphia last year,” Smith said on Wednesday. “Just being around a young group of guys that goes out and plays hard, for us to be able to accomplish some of the things we did was good. That’s what made this decision so tough. But at the same time, I felt [the Bulls are] a team that is going in the right direction. They are halfway there or more than halfway there already, and I thought that this would be a better situation at this time.”

Having spent three seasons in Milwaukee (2003-2006), Smith said that he had several opportunities to watch the Bulls and liked what he saw, a factor that weighed into his decision to accept Chicago’s two-year offer.

“You saw so much improvement in the guys here individually, and that carried over to the team,” he explained. “I was talking to Coach Skiles and he told me how these guys are gym rats. Everyday, guys are in here either getting shots up or in the weight room or doing something to make their game better. When you have a group of guys like that who are going to work on making their game better, you can’t ask for too much more.”

Another motivation for Smith to come to the Windy City was the chance to play for an Eastern Conference contender. Smith’s teams have reached the postseason six times, but never advanced past the first round.

Joe Smith meets the media on July 18 at the Berto Center.

“It would be real nice to be part of a team that not just makes the playoffs, but continues to advance,” he said.

Smith confirmed that he had other opportunities besides Chicago and Philadelphia this summer, but it came down to those two teams and ultimately, it was the Bulls who offered the best fit and situation. Now, he’s ready to settle in, get to know his new teammates, and gear up for the coming season. Much like P.J. Brown did last year, Smith figures to complete for the starting power forward job.

“From the discussions that we’ve had, my role will be to help spread the defense a little bit and be a pick-and-pop type guy as well as a guy who can play with his back to the basket, and that’s something I’m looking forward to,” Smith said of his discussions with the Bulls staff so far. “On the defensive end, I’m pretty active. I hope that on both ends of the floor, I’ll be able to bring something.”

Another role that Smith will likely embrace is that of a leader and a strong locker room presence. While his signing provides the team with depth at power forward, he’ll also be looked upon to help out the younger players, specifically Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, in teaching them the ways of the NBA.

“No one has to talk to me about that one,” Smith stated. “That’s just my personality—whenever I’m in the locker room or around the guys, I just be me. I’m the type of guy who likes to joke and have fun and keep the locker room light, but at the same time, be real professional and business-like. When it’s time to get down to business, it’s time to get down to business. That’s the way I’ve been my entire career.”

The overall No. 1 pick out of Maryland in the 1995 NBA Draft, Smith has played in 816 regular season contests (576 starts) and posted career averages of 12.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 1.1 apg in 28.8 mpg. For his career, he has shot .454 from the field and .794 from the line.

During his career, his teams have advanced to the playoffs six times, where he has averaged 6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 21.7 mpg in 26 postseason contests (11 starts).

He split the 2006.07 season between Denver and Philadelphia, after he was part of the four-player trade that sent Allen Iverson to Denver on Dec. 19, 2006. On the year, Smith played in 65 games (11 starts) and averaged 8.5 ppg and 6.2 rpg in 23.1 mpg.

— Adam Fluck contributed to his report.