3 players the Chicago Bulls could use their mid-level exception on

The Chicago Bulls could sign Nicolas Batum with their mid-level exception

One of the players the Bulls have been rumored to have interest in this offseason is Los Angeles Clippers free agent forward Nicolas Batum. At one point having maybe the worst contract in all of basketball and becoming a highly overrated player, Batum has flown under the radar over the last year or two and is now actually an underrated asset.

Last season with the Clippers, Batum averaged 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game off the bench. He also shot the three ball at a 40 percent clip, which is one of the biggest reasons the Bulls could use him. Chicago has to add three-point shooting via free agency, and Batum gives them just that.

One of the best parts of Batum’s game has always been on the defensive end, and being able to have another versatile defender in their arsenal would be a big advantage for the Bulls. Batum could play either the three or four, depending on how Billy Donovan’s rotation looks at a given point.

At 33 years old, Batum still has some basketball left in him. At this stage in his career, he’s gotten more comfortable with his role than ever, knowing exactly what his strengths are and playing to them well. Should the Bulls be able to add Batum, they’d have an extremely strong bench unit between he, Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu.