The Chicago Bulls are still trying to find their identity. Even more than that, they're trying to stack up young talent to kick the tires on the Tiago Splitter era. At this point, every young player with a high upside might be on their radar.
That's why it's not much of a surprise to hear about their alleged interest in Bennedict Mathurin. More than that, NBA insider Brett Siegel argued that they had the 'smoothest path' among all of his suitors to complete a sign-and-trade.
While that makes sense to a degree, given Mathurin's scoring prowess and positional versatility, it might not be in the team's best interests. As The Athletic's Joel Lorenzi explained, that move would run counter to the Bulls' long-term plans.
The Bulls might be better off without Bennedict Mathurin
“Mathurin, who turned 24 in June, remains a talented young scorer who could be worth a flyer,” Lorenzi wrote. “But Chicago values two things at this stage: roster flexibility and acquiring future assets. Mathurin made roughly $9.2 million this past season, and his next contract is widely expected to exceed that figure in annual value.”
Of course, this isn't a knock on Mathurin. He may not be much of a defender or bring more to the table than his three-level scoring, but he's shown that he can get hot in the blink of an eye and has the potential to be a 25+ PPG guy when given an opportunity.
Nevertheless, the Bulls might actually win more by leaving a roster spot open so they can absorb a bad contract and some picks at some point in the season. Also, they don't need bucket-getters right now.
Norman Powell is most likely a future trade chip who won't finish his contract in the Windy City, but the Bulls should have plenty of scoring with Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson. They can use Mathurin's floor-spacing, sure, but they'd also be better off leaving as many touches available for their young stars.
Bennedict Mathurin can be a solid contributor to a contending team, so he might also be a valuable trade chip if he plays well and drives up his value. That said, he also looks poised to be overpaid, and empty-calorie guys on big contracts are a nightmare to move (hello, Zach LaVine).
Barring a surprise, the Bulls will need at least one season before returning to playoff contention, and that's fine. Just because they should keep an eye on every young player available doesn't necessarily mean they have to make a run at all of them; it should be a case-by-case thing.
At a fair price, the Bulls should definitely be interested in a talented scorer like Mathurin. But since he's not likely to sign a team-friendly deal, the incentive simply might not be there. He's good, but not good enough to change the team's plans.
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