Bulls free agency primer: LaVine decision, how to improve

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NBA free agency begins Thursday at 5 p.m. Central. Do you know where your newest Chicago Bull is?

The to-do list is simple: Retain Zach LaVine. Add size, shooting and bench depth. Executing the plan may not be as simple, although last offseason’s aggressive creativity showed the front office at least enters with a specific plan.

Here are three storylines for Bulls fans and observers to monitor during the free agency period:

The Zach LaVine situation

Everybody from the owner to the lead basketball executive to the coach has said it: The Bulls hope to keep LaVine in Chicago for a long time. And the Bulls have the ability to pay him more than any suitor, a five-year deal worth roughly $212 million.

Still, LaVine is an unrestricted free agent. So his future is his choice if he wants to leave a guaranteed $55 million on the table for now by signing with another team, which would max his earning at four years and roughly $157 million.

The Bulls have publicly stated they are “prepared to do what it will take” to retain LaVine. Asked on Monday if that means presenting LaVine with the full five-year max, executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas played coy.

However, the Bulls have strong relationships with both LaVine and his representative, Rich Paul. They know LaVine is seeking the max. And they know letting an asset in the form of a two-time All-Star on the front end of his prime walk for nothing is a franchise-crippling move.

Maybe it’s not a full five-year contract. Maybe the deal contains a player option for the final year or injury protections. But all signs point to LaVine choosing the Bulls in free agency.

The tools to improve

Even if the Bulls are paying LaVine $36.6 million in the first year of his five-year deal next season, they likely will have the non-taxpayer midlevel exception at their disposal. That is projected to be worth $10.3 million. It can be split between players or used fully on one.

The Bulls also will have minimum salary exceptions available to shore up bench depth.

And there is the $5 million trade exception from the Daniel Theis sign-and-trade transaction, which would allow them to absorb up to $5 million in a trade without sending salary back.

The Bulls do not own their biannual exception, having spent a portion on it to sign Tristan Thompson last season.

At Dalen Terry’s introductory news conference, Karnišovas cited the standard three ways to improve the team — drafting, trades, free agency. The Bulls’ asset chest for trades is relatively bare, especially if the lack of shooting leads them to keep Coby White.

Tony Bradley faced a Wednesday deadline to exercise the player option on his two-year deal but told team officials he planned to return, according to ESPN.com. That means the Bulls project to have 12 players under contract when LaVine re-signs as expected. They are DeMar DeRozan, LaVine, Nikola Vučević, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, White, Ayo Dosunmu, Javonte Green, Marko Simonović, Terry and Bradley.

They also can extend a qualifying offer to Troy Brown Jr. should they choose, but he had fallen out of the rotation last season. With Derrick Jones Jr. and Matt Thomas' contracts expiring, that leaves three roster spots available when LaVine re-signs.

The needs

General manager Marc Eversley cited rim protection to “complement” Vučević. Karnišovas has talked about the need to improve shooting. In general, bench depth needs to be improved.

Given that Karnišovas has stated on multiple occasions that he’s seeking continuity for his core, look for the Bulls to address these needs on smaller-scale moves with their exceptions. Think a free agency period more along the lines of hitting solid singles — like when Karnišovas signed Garrett Temple — than last offseason’s home-run swings.

Coming Wednesday: A look at realistic targets for the Bulls.

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