The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of an active offseason. New general manager Bryson Graham hit the ground running, revamping the roster quickly. While none of the moves were particularly splashy, the two rookies, as well as Nic Claxton and Norman Powell, should help the Bulls immensely. There is enough talent and a proper ecosystem here for the young Bulls prospects to develop.
However, not every move was a home run. The Bulls, entering the offseason with a ton of cap space, assets, and flexibility, were bound to make a mistake.
Bulls will regret overpaying Zach Collins in new contract
That mistake came in the form of Zach Collins. The Bulls re-signed the veteran center to a two-year, $17 million deal. There is a team option on the second year, which softens the blow a little, but that is simply way too much to pay for a player of Collins' caliber.
If Collins hadn't dealt with significant injury concerns throughout his career, there is a possibility that he would be worth this deal. In reality, he has missed large chunks of the season in four separate years of his career, including last season. After only appearing in ten games, Collins underwent toe surgery.
Instead of a one-year, "prove it" deal where Collins could come in as the third-string center, the Bulls are paying the 28-year-old center $8.5 million next season.
Is Collins really an upgrade over any of the veteran centers who signed for the minimum, like Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic, and Thomas Bryant? Even Jaxson Hayes and Al Horford signed for less annual average salary. Among power forwards, Harrison Barnes and Kenrich Williams, who were playoff contributors for two of the best teams in the league, signed for smaller deals than the ones Collins signed.
Plus, by constructing this deal as an extension, Collins' contract ate into Chicago's cap space, per cap expert Keith Smith. This meant that the Bulls had less wiggle room in free agency. If they had waited and signed him later to a smaller deal, Chicago could have landed another difference-maker in free agency.
Sure, this makes Collins a trade chip as a matching salary. Any other free agent they signed to this deal would have served the same purpose. Wouldn't you want to give this deal to someone who can actually help you on the floor?
On paper, Collins can shoot and protect the rim, a rare combination among centers. His skill set is certainly valuable, but we just haven't seen it translate to the court consistently. Yet, the Bulls continue to pay him as he has. Among all the moves they have made so far, this is the one that has the highest potential of aging poorly.
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