Chicago Bulls: 5 free agents team must make decisions on
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bulls must make a decision on Garrett Temple
Maybe the only small forward the Bulls should keep around next year is veteran Garrett Temple, who is coming off just a 1-year deal with the Bulls. Although it was his first season in Chicago, Temple fit right in.
The signing of Temple was one of those under-the-radar type moves by the team last year, but it ended up paying significant dividends. Temple’s talent rarely showed up in box scores. He averaged 7.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this past season.
Temple wasn’t even that efficient of a scorer, shooting just over 41 percent on the season and 33 percent from three. Yet, it was everything else, that went unseen at times, which made him so valuable. Temple played pretty solid defense for most of the season, and represented some of the glue that held this team together.
When you talk about a veteran in the locker room being a positive thing for a younger team, that’s exactly what Temple was for the Bulls in 2020-2021. He plays the game hard and with intention. He makes those hustle plays that you won’t see show up in the stats. He’s become a very valuable part of this team, and the Bulls should do what they can to bring him back for the coming season.