Bulls player preview: Kirk Hinrich

With training camp almost here, Nick Friedell previews every player on the Bulls roster.

Kirk Hinrich

Age: 32 | Pos.: SG | Salary: $4,059,000

Role for Bulls in 2013-14: After an injury-plagued season that ended with him missing most of the Bulls' run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, Hinrich will head back to the bench this season, playing behind Derrick Rose. That should be a good move for the aging veteran, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to stay healthy regardless of how many minutes he plays.

What happened this summer?: Hinrich spent time getting his body back in order. He sounded optimistic about his health and the Bulls' chances during a golf outing last month.

"I'm very excited," Hinrich said. "We have most of our guys back. We had some great additions. The anticipation of Derrick coming back healthy -- and it sounds like he's motivated. We think we have a very good chance and it will be very good."

What does the future hold?: This is likely the last year Hinrich will make major money in the league. With his injury history, teams may not want to invest a lot of money in him given his inability to stay on the floor. In the short term, he is a solid backup behind Rose and is one of the most respected players in the Bulls' locker room.

Bottom line: Hinrich can still play at a high level in this league but he must find a comfort level as far as keeping his health intact.