Brandon Paul Will Play For The Chicago Bulls During NBA Summer League

As NBA squads keep their collective eyes peeled for prospective young talent worth taking a chance on, Brandon Paul will play for the Chicago Bulls during Las Vegas Summer League, according to his personal Twitter account.

#TBT to last summers #predraftworkouts. Excited for what's ahead, if you like NBA Summer League… http://t.co/avu9arr7eI

— Brandon Paul (@BP3) June 19, 2014

Following an impressive showing last summer with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Paul was tasked with deciding between playing in the D-League or overseas to start this past season.

Whereas plenty of youngsters opt to remain close to home and strut their stuff in the D-League, Paul instead chose the alternative.

The minor league of The Association allows prospects the opportunity to be seen up close throughout the year by big league executives. That said, competing in the D-League is all about hanging on to the hope that one eventually gets noticed.

Whereas such an opportunity goes away when a player chooses to play international ball, such immense pressure to succeed under the gun also goes away. Instead, the athlete is afforded some financial security while being able to improve their game and hope for an even better opportunity the following season.

Prior to heading off to Russia, the former Illinois guard explained his decision to RidiculousUpside.com alum Gino Pilato:

Paul explained his decision to play in Russia, versus a possible attempt in an NBA training camp. "The thing with training camp is that it's pretty hard to make a roster, because there are limited spots. Sometimes you can do well, but the team might not want to carry a certain number of guys. I didn't have any doubt that I couldn't make a roster, but had I went to camp and ended up starting in the D-League, I think I would have been doing myself a disservice. Nothing against the D-League, but I felt like I could make some really good first year guaranteed money, as well as compete in a top league in Russia, so that's the route I took."

Fast-forward nearly a year later, and Paul is poised to prove he deserves such a shot in The Association once and for all. Following his stint overseas, that appears to have been the plan all along. He outlined as much to Pilato just last fall:

Paul has also remained focused on his future, and has thought about his plans following his first season in Russia. "Now, when I get back to the states and go through the summer league process again, I can make the decision on staying or going overseas a little easier on myself. I will have some financial support to where I feel comfortable staying and going to camp, if that's what I choose." Paul said.

How things work out from there remains to be seen. But so far, so good.