Chicago Bulls: An early look at 2019 NBA free agency

As the 2019 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and the Chicago Bulls watch from home, we begin looking at free agency and future options.

The Chicago Bulls are coming off one of the more intriguing seasons in recent memory. First and foremost, the team finished with the fourth-worst record in all of basketball and now have a strong chance at a top-3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — a.k.a. the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.

The year started off with John Paxson and Gar Forman deciding to fire former head coach Fred Hoiberg (whom has already landed on his feet as the new head coach of Nebraska). Following the firing of Hoiberg, the Bulls decided to put assistant coach Jim Boylen in charge.

It wasn’t long before Boylen’s “interim” tag was removed and he was given full rein as the new head coach in Chicago. It started off a little rocky, with Boylen running the team pretty hard in practice amidst a back-to-back, and there were rumors of players being unhappy from the get-go.

As the season wore on, the Bulls looked to learn how to win. At times, they played fairly competitive and proved they could win some games. But, later on, the team went into full-on tank mode as they ruled out some significant players for the remainder of the year.

Now watching the playoffs from home, the Bulls can only look forward. What will next season hold? How will the draft unfold? Better yet, will Boylen last longer than this next season, despite the front office showing confidence in him going into the future?

Another fun question: What does free agency look like this summer, and will the Bulls stand a chance at signing anyone remotely significant? Let’s begin looking ahead to free agency, starting with the Bulls’ own.