Chicago Bulls: No extension for Bobby Portis hurts the future
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bulls had until Monday, October 15th to agree with the big man on an extension.
Going into the 2018 NBA offseason, one of the top priorities for the Chicago Bulls was to get fourth-year big man Bobby Portis extended well into the future. The former Arkansas Razorback had ascended year over year and looks poised to break out even further in 2018-2019.
On Monday, the Bulls missed their opportunity. The 15th of October was the deadline to get a rookie extension done with Portis, and to no avail, the two sides could not come to an agreement.
If the Bulls truly see Portis as part of the long-term plan in Chicago (and they better), this was a missed opportunity.
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First and foremost, the Bulls will be without Lauri Markkanen for the next few weeks, giving Portis an opportunity to step into the starting lineup and flourish. The thought, originally, was that Jabari Parker would slide into the starting spot in place of Markkanen.
Through the preseason, however, Portis significantly outplayed Parker and won the job. Now, with even more playing time than he’s had in his first three years, Portis has the chance to improve his value even further.
Portis will become a restricted free agent next summer, meaning the Bulls can match any offer he receives. But, there is no doubt that, barring injury, Portis’ price just skyrocketed. If he stays healthy, Portis could wind up as this year’s Sixth Man of the Year once Markkanen returns.
The problem the Bulls will face next summer is that there will be teams wanting to pay Portis starting-caliber money. The Bulls clearly have their front court on lock down for the foreseeable future between Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.
Where does Portis’ value come in at, then? Myles Turner, who was also drafted the same year as Portis, just received a 4-year, $80 million extension.
Will the Bulls be willing to pay Portis even $60-to-$70 million over the same time frame? As a reserve player?
By not getting a deal done now, Chicago shot themselves in the foot. I guarantee you, the Bulls will end up paying Portis significantly more money next summer than they would have at this very moment.
Take a gander at this little nugget, for good measure:
"“He (Portis) was one of three players, including DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love, to average 21 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 3-pointers per 36 minutes (last season).”-Mark Strotman, NBC Sports Chicago"
If Portis was doing that in a reserve role a season ago, imagine how much better he is going to look as a starter for a short period of time. When he goes back to his reserve role, I have a hard time believing head coach Fred Hoiberg isn’t going to have him on the floor as much as possible, still.
Next. Bulls: Bold predictions for opening night. dark
Portis is an ascending player who can do a lot more than the average power forward. He has the range from long distance to go with an intensity that is typically unmatched by any opponent. He’s going to make out pretty well next summer, regardless of whether it’s in Chicago or not.
The Bulls messed this one up — big time.