The Chicago Bulls have taken care of most of their offseason business, revamping the roster in a significant way. They are younger with more upside than they have been in years, giving them a bright future.
However, they may still have another move or two left in them. Even though the peak of free agency is behind us, there are still opportunities for the Bulls to improve their team for next season and beyond.
Chicago has an open roster spot. Unless they make a trade, the only way they can fill that 15th and final roster spot is by using their room mid-level exception, worth $9.4 million next season. So, the salary of the player they end up signing can't exceed $9.4 million. What's the best use of this resource for the Bulls?
Bulls should prioritize veteran competence with the final roster spot
First of all, the Bulls shouldn't feel like they have to add someone. They have to avoid signing someone who could be a subtraction by addition. Whoever they get has to be additive with the core members of the team.
This means that it has to be someone who doesn't need the ball in his hands. Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Caleb Wilson need to explore the studio space. Giddey will help put Buzelis and Wilson in the right positions to succeed. Adding another on-ball player to the mix to take some of those opportunities from the young Bulls would be a mistake.
Surrounding this group with as much shooting as possible would be very helpful. Norman Powell fits seamlessly into this idea, but the Bulls could use more shooting off the bench. This would help Giddey, Buzelis, and Wilson have the spacing they need to thrive. Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue will also look much better if they have capable floor-spacers around them.
That is why someone like Bennedict Mathurin may not be the best idea. As talented a scorer as he is, the Bulls need more of a complementary player.
At this point in the offseason, the free agent market is largely bereft of talent. Chicago could dip into the overseas market and take a flier on a player who has been away from the league for a while, like Cleveland did with Mario Hezonja, Minnesota did with Trey Lyles, and Denver did with Lonnie Walker.
Alternatively, there are lower-end veteran options like Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, and Gabe Vincent who can still play. There are also players like Lindy Waters, Aaron Holiday, and Ochai Agbaji who could be in the rotation for the Bulls.
These may not be the sexiest names out there, and they are unlikely to excite Bulls fans too much. But the Bulls already have enough exciting, young players. They now need to surround them with competence. Having someone like Brown, Vincent, or Holiday to come in, play solid defense, and hit some shots might be better for the Bulls than a splashier FA signing.
| More Bulls News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google