Former Georgia State star Hunter signs with Bulls

Former Georgia State star R.J. Hunter was waived by the Boston Celtics Monday.

Credit: Associated Press

Credit: Associated Press

Former Georgia State star R.J. Hunter was waived by the Boston Celtics Monday.

Former Georgia State standout R.J. Hunter wasn't looking for a team for very long.

The Chicago Bulls signed the guard Thursday.

Hunter is a former first-round draft pick of the Celtics. Boston let him go Monday on his 23rd birthday. Coach Brad Stevens said the decision came down to numbers.

"We had more than 15 NBA players so it was just a matter of time who he was going to get picked up by," Stevens said. "I think the way that he plays fits with how they like to play."

Hunter played in 36 games as a rookie with the Celtics, averaging 2.7 points per game.

His dad, Georgia State coach Ron Hunter, told the Boston Globe that his son was disappointed by Boston's move Monday.

“For a kid to get waived on his birthday isn’t the best way to celebrate your birthday," Ron Hunter said. "But he understands this is a business and there will be another opportunity for him."

It came quickly.