With NBA free agency starting July 1, the Bulls are in an envious position as one of a handful teams with significant salary cap space.
Despite John Paxson claiming that the team would be 'cautious' in free agency, they are a number of free agents who could help, depending on what direction the Bulls want to go in.
On with the rebuild:
Most Bulls fans would like for the team to continue to stack young talent, and build up the roster organically rather than going "all-in". These are a few players who could fit in with the Bulls young core.
1. Aaron Gordon, F
Gordon was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by Orlando. He came into the league as a "tweener," stuck somewhere between the small forward and center positions without a defined role.
But in today's NBA, his value is likely at an all-time high in terms of fit in the league.
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Last season, he used a decent chunk of possessions on offense, while still being one of Orlando's better defenders. He averaged a combined 1.9 steals/blocks per 36 minutes. Gordon also finished with the highest defensive rebounding percentage (21.5) of his brief career.
One of the biggest developments in Gordon's game was his 3-point shooting. He shot a career-high 33.6 percent from 3-point range, but more important, he nailed 36.8 percent of his corner 3s. Being able to stretch the floor makes him an interesting fit in Chicago.
The chief concern with Wendell Carter Jr. is that he may not be able to guard smaller, quicker players out in space. If teams are able to attack Carter and play him off the floor, Gordon would be the perfect player to play the four/five with Lauri Markkanen to close games.
2. Mario Hezonja, SG/SF
Another player on the Orlando Magic who could be a good fit in Chicago is swingman Mario Hezonja. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft—seeing a theme here with Orlando?—and has not lived up to the promise he showed before coming to the league.
Hezonja is 6-foot-8, but he does not use his size well at all on defense. He often gets pushed around, and he doesn't always show the focus necessary to handle defensive switches.
Right now, Hezonja's potential is about his offense. He is an incredible dunker who has shown the ability finish at a high-level in transition.
The most concernig thing is that despite generally being touted as a great shooter coming into the 2015 NBA draft, Hezonja has shot 33.2 percent from 3-point range for his career, and has not gotten to the free throw line often despite being a great attacker off the dribble.
In Chicago, Markkanen drag screens would do a great job of providing Hezonja with lanes to the basket. And the hope is that he would be able to improve his ball-handling and playmaking skills under the tutelage of Hoiberg.
And perhaps the most important thing in regards to Hezonja is that—at just 23 years old—he would not be a very expensive pick up. This is incredibly crucial to consider, seeing as a few teams could offer big-money to LaVine. Hezonja, though he hasn't shown the potential LaVine has, could be a cost-effective replacement as a similarly high-flying guard.
3. Clint Capela, C
This is probably a name you've heard connected to the Bulls before. Capela, a nominee for the Most Improved Player Award, had an incredible season with Houston.
Most notably, he led the league in field goal percentage at 65.2 percent.
Capela was a monster finishing around the basket on lobs from super-playmaker Chris Paul and MVP James Harden. There are legitimate concerns that his incredible offensive efficiency numbers were only because of the immense pressure Houston's guards put on opposing defenses.
Though Kris Dunn still has a long way to go as an overall decision-maker, his sky-high 33.3 percent assist rate shows that he is a willing passer. And Capela's rim-running ability would go a long way towards making Dunn a better player as well.
And in a worst-case scenario, Capela brings no offensive firepower to the Bulls lineup but still brings tremendous value to the defense. He averaged a combined 2.7 steals blocks per game, and was the linchpan of the Rockets switch-heavy system.
4. Jabari Parker, F
Parker is someone who has likely been on the Bulls radar for quite some time, as they have seemed to love the hometown hero marketing angle over the years. A graduate of basketball powerhouse Simeon, Parker has been through a lot in his four seasons with Milwaukee.
He fits the mold of a few other players mentioned in this post as a former high (second overall) draft pick. But the injury concerns are what make Parker's free agency—much like LaVine—much more about what teams think he will become rather than what he is.
At a listed 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, he has the size to play the four. But the Bulls biggest hole is at the three spot (SF), so there are legitimate concerns if he has enough ball-handling ability to hold down that spot in the lineup.
Also concerning is that at this stage of his career, Parker is a high-usage bucket-getter, and little else. If the Bulls were to bring back LaVine, there would likely not be enough shots to go around between he, Parker, Dunn and Markkanen.
Even so, his 55 percent true shooting percentage would've ranked third among Bulls starters from last season. And for his career, Parker has shot 41.3 percent on corner threes. And on top of his outside shooting profiency, he shot 62.1 percent on shots zero-to-three feet from the basket. This is another mark that would've been third among Bulls starters.
So, defensive concerns aside, a potential Parker-Markkanen pairing would give the Bulls an explosive, high-scoring frontcourt duo to close out games.
Parker would likely want some long-term security in his contract. But the fact that he is a Chicago-native—obviously comfortable with the city—means that he may be willing to sign a long-term deal with a smaller per year cap hit.
Let's chase a playoff spot:
The five words above is one sure to scare Bulls fans everywhere, but in a scenario where the Bulls are better than expected, they could potentially be in play for a finish somewhere in the range of a 9-to-11 seed. If that was the case, then adding a veteran or two could be enough to nudge the Bulls torwards legitimately sealing a low playoff seed.
5. Isaiah Thomas, PG
Thomas had a rough year coming off a significant hip injury. And his down season came right as his free agency was approaching.
In an NBA offseason where not many teams have cap space, it will be tough for Thomas to fetch the contract the he feels he deserves. But even so, the Bulls could make an interesting bid for the two-time All-Star.
Behind Kris Dunn, the Bulls front office seems to favor Cameron Payne at the back-up point guard spot. Nate Duncan of the Dunc'd on Podcast recently suggested that the Bulls may be interested in waiving Jerian Grant, clearing even more room in the backcourt.
This would pave the way for Thomas to play in a sixth-man role for the Bulls, one he could thrive in with the floor spacing potentially provided by a Markkanen-Carter frontcourt pairing.
Obviously, Fred Hoiberg would have to get creative with hiding Thomas on defense, but playing a two-PG lineup with Dunn could be a boon for Thomas's general fatigue level during games. The hope would also be that Thomas, a career 36.1 percent 3-point shooter, could also help Dunn develop a jump shot that showed marked improvement last season.
If the Bulls signed Thomas, it would likely be a large one-year deal that would allow him to showcase his talent and veteran leadership. This would in turn allow him to parlay his solid season into a future long-term deal, likely with another team.