Free agency begins Sunday night, and we're looking at seven different directions the Bulls could take to fill out their roster.
Veterans, veterans, veterans
The Bulls currently have an average age of 23.6 years old. No one on the team is older than 26 (Porter, Felicio, Lemon) and a quarter of their team can’t legally drink a beer. Last year they were the fourth youngest team (24.89 years) and the least experienced team (3.13 years) in the league, and that was including 31-year-old Robin Lopez. Are you seeing where we’re getting at? The Bulls need veterans in the locker room, experience in tight, late-game situations and guys who know what it takes to build a winner.
John Paxson has alluded to adding multiple veterans, which is why it’s the first scenario on our list. There are myriad veterans who could be had at veteran minimum deals, but we’ll start with a bang. Patrick Beverley is the perfect fit. He’s from Chicago, is one of the best on-ball defenders in the league and would do wonders for the Bulls’ young backcourt (look at what he did in L.A. with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). Taj Gibson is familiar with Chicago and would be a perfect locker-room presence while also mentoring Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. Wayne Ellington has played for seven teams in his NBA career and would give the Bulls much needed 3-point shooting.
Looking to the future right now
2021 will be a critical free agency period when Otto Porter’s and Cris Felicio’s contracts come off the books. It marks the next time the Bulls will have max space, so avoiding three-year deals this offseason (and two-year deals next offseason) is a solid approach. Unless, that is, there’s a player out there who could be part of the core going forward.
Malcolm Brogdon is a restricted free agent who very well could wind up back in Milwaukee. He’s valued there after a remarkable shooting season in which he went 50/40/90, can play both guard positions and is an excellent defender with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. But the Bucks also need to pay Khris Middleton (likely on a max deal) and Brook Lopez, who was a revelation on both ends. If the Bulls believe Brogdon can be a piece of the core, there’s a chance they throw a massive offer sheet at the 26-year-old that the Bucks simply can’t match. It’d be the most aggressive move on this list, but Brogdon is a special talent.
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What else were we going to do with it?
Last year the Bulls sat idle in free agency after matching the Kings’ four-year offer sheet to Zach LaVine. A few weeks in they struck a deal with Jabari Parker for two years, $40 million (the second year was a team option that realistically never had a shot of being picked up, so in actuality it was a one-year, $20 million deal). Might that happen again in 2019? If the Bulls miss on their preferred guys at point guard and don’t want to commit long-term money, they could look for another flier.
We’ll toss out Jeremy Lamb as one option. He certainly could be in line for a big payday after a career year in Charlotte. But perhaps Lamb isn’t happy with offers that come his way early in free agency, and instead wants to play on a one-year, prove-it deal with the Bulls. He’d have a significant role on the second unit and would lead the bench in points and attempts per game. A more realistic name that comes to mind is Rodney Hood. He’s been a roller coaster of production the last two seasons, and perhaps wants to play in a low-leverage setting where he knows he’ll get plenty of shots on a second unit. The Bulls could load up money on a one-year deal, have another potential trade chip (like Parker wound up being) and maintain cap flexibility moving forward.
Expect the expected
The Bulls rarely go off course in free agency. That's why it wouldn't be surprising to see them split their $23 million in cap space right down the middle ($11.5 million each; you're welcome) and hand it out to a veteran point guard and a backup forward.
Veteran point guards to watch for include Ricky Rubio, Cory Joseph, Terry Rozier and Elfrid Payton. On the power forward market, names like Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris and Taj Gibson (more on him shortly) make sense.
The Bulls could also add a shooter or two with the cap space if their point guard and power forward don't amount to $23 million. Unfortunately for fans looking for the Bulls to make a splash, this is probably the most realistic scenario. Nothing flashy but nothing quiet. Just an even free agency after the dust settles on the big boys in the first week.
The reunion tour
OK, nostalgic fans. There’s no chance the Bulls bring back all three of Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose. But the front office could do worse from a PR standpoint than to bring back any combination of three incredibly beloved players. And, in reality, all three make sense.
Gibson is a proven veteran who has played pretty well in Minnesota the last two seasons. He could be a backup at either frontcourt position, he’d be a proven veteran in the locker room and a role model to show the young Bulls what a true professional looks like. There aren’t many better than Taj. Noah is on the tail end of his career but put together a nice stretch to end the year in Memphis. He wouldn’t provide as much versatility or production as Gibson, but how much better would Wendell Carter be going against Noah every day in practice and then having him in his ear 82 times a year?
Rose is a tougher one to peg. He had an outstanding first half with the Timberwolves last season but then fizzled out and suffered a season-ending injury. That sounds familiar. He’d assume a backup role to Coby White and act as a mentor for the 19-year-old. But what happens if White starts slow and Rose Stans begin clamoring for the former MVP to enter the starting lineup? It’s probably a situation the Bulls are better off avoiding, if Rose even did want to return to his hometown.
Fill out the bench with fliers
The Bulls could certainly go this route in some capacity, looking at young, under-the-radar talent that simply didn't get an opportunity in their previous spot. But they don't HAVE to spend all their $23 million this summer. Maybe that means hanging on to some cap flexibility during the regular season by only looking at cheap fliers on the free agency market. Consider players like Cheick Diallo, Justin Anderson, Quinn Cook or Jake Layman. This would NOT help the Bulls in 2019-20. It would mean another Lottery-bound season, but that isn't the worst strategy in the world. There's no trophy for finishing ninth in the East next season, and a four-game sweep at the hands of the Bucks or Raptors won't actually do that much for the rebuild. Sitting out free agency and taking on cheap contracts with guys who could possibly be trade chips in February is certainly a way to go.
Let's get crazy
We saved it for last because it's the most unlikely scenario. But maybe the Bulls decide D'Angelo Russell is a difference maker for the franchise and there's mutual interest. It gets tricky, but our capologist Kevin Anderson broke down how the Bulls can get into max cap space territory. We'll let you read it here, and then come back and check out the six scenarios above it, because this one simply isn't happening. But it's fun to consider.