There was reportedly a ‘strong belief’ that Bulls and Darren Collison would reach an agreement before his surprise retirement

Did Darren Collison just choose retirement over playing for the Bulls?

The veteran guard announced his retirement on Friday, and by doing so took a point guard off the free agent market. The Bulls figure to be in the mix for a point guard this offseason and reportedly were nearing a deal with Collison, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

There’s strong belief within league circles the Bulls and Darren Collison were headed for a marriage had Collison not surprisingly retired Friday night at age 31.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 29, 2019

Collison, a Jehovah’s Witness, said he is choosing his family and his faith over continuing his basketball career. Still, the decision came as a surprise considering he is only 31 years old.

If the Bulls landed Collison it would have given them a veteran point guard to share minutes with Coby White during his rookie season. Instead, the search will go on with one less available player and just as many teams still in the market for point guards.