Should the Chicago Bulls re-sign David Nwaba this offseason?

The Chicago Bulls will need to decide whether or not to re-sign David Nwaba, a restricted free agent who has earned a role, this offseason.

All is well, Chicago Bulls fans: your team is back to tanking the way you hoped it would. And, though they’ve now gone 4-7 since their surprising seven-game winning streak, the Bulls keep giving you reasons to think this team will be alright next season.

Today, the Bulls announced that they will fully guarantee the contract of David Nwaba for the rest of the season. He will now earn all of the $1.3-million contract he signed when the Bulls claimed him off waivers.

And he has earned every penny, and more, with his performance this season.

In 23 minutes per game this year, Nwaba is averaging 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. His defensive energy, hustle and athletic ability have established him as an unexpectedly crucial rotation piece for this year’s Bulls.

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Plus, he has shown that he can play well as a spot starter when needed as well.

When this season ends, Nwaba will be a restricted free agent. This will give the Bulls a chance to match any offer sheet another team gives him. After what he has done this season, Chicago had better give serious thought to bringing him back next year.

Though his offensive game is somewhat limited, his defensive presence and energy would make him a perfect bench player for when this Chicago Bulls team starts to turn the corner.

In fact, I envision him as a poor man’s Ronnie Brewer, though he still needs to start hitting corner 3s. Perhaps he could even be a new Bench Mob cornerstone for a (hopefully) dynamic young Bulls team. That’s a year or two away, maybe, but it’s not too early to think about it.

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When you’re a rebuilding team, part of the challenge is finding out who you want when everything turns around. Nwaba, an undrafted player who has worked his way into this rotation, fits that description.

We’ll see if the Chicago Bulls agree when the time comes to potentially re-sign him next season.