Chicago Bulls Free Agency Recap
AP Photo/Morry Gash
The NBA offseason has officially started, and teams can begin announcing free agent signings and making trades. The Chicago Bulls were one of the best teams in the league before the All-Star break last year but unfortunately stumbled down to the sixth seed for the playoffs as injuries took their toll on some players. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley felt that there weren’t many holes to fill and that continuity with the current roster was the best option given their record to start the season at full strength. However, the Bulls have made some moves so far, which were both expected and unexpected.
Re-Signings
Zach LaVine was arguably the biggest name available for unrestricted free agents, but he wasn’t on the open market for long. The Bulls agreed with him fairly quickly on a five-year max contract worth $215 million. Even days before free agency opened, LaVine was expected to re-sign with the Bulls, given that they could offer the most money and Karnisovas’ desire to keep his star coming off a career year. LaVine made his second consecutive All-Star game and helped his team to the playoffs for the first time in his career while averaging 24.4 points per game and playing through knee pain. The Bulls hope for LaVine to take another step forward as they look to advance past the first round for the first time since 2015.
Derrick Jones Jr. was re-signed to a short-term deal, two years, for $6.6 million. He will primarily back up power forward Patrick Williams as of now and provides explosive athleticism, known for his dunks. The signing was a bit surprising, as it was expected the Bulls would look for more of a three-point shooter rather than a high-flyer like Jones Jr. However, Jones Jr. should provide quality minutes off the bench while bringing a lot of energy.
New Additions
Andre Drummond was the first player to be signed from outside of the organization this offseason. Like Jones Jr., the former Brooklyn Net was also signed to a two-year deal worth $6.6 million. Drummond will back up Nikola Vucevic and is known for being one of the league’s strongest rebounders, having led the NBA in rebounds per game four times. However, one negative aspect of his game is that he is not the best rim protector despite his size. The Bulls wanted to address rim protection and defense at this position, so the Drummond signing was a little unexpected. Nevertheless, he is still only 28 years old and brings a veteran presence to the locker room that can help bring the Bulls an element of grit and toughness.
Finally, Goran Dragic was the last piece signed by the Bulls in the second wave of free agency. Dragic has made his way around the NBA, playing for five teams in 14 seasons. This particular signing was surprising because of the amount of guard depth the Bulls already have on their roster. Lonzo Ball, LaVine, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu will all be getting a lot of minutes, but backup Coby White has been rumored in trade talks recently. Dragic may be able to take White’s place, but he likely won’t play many minutes due to the players in front of him on the depth chart. However, Ball and Caruso were injured at times last year, with Ball not playing a single game after January 14. Due to this, the Bulls front office likely wanted even more quality depth in Dragic to keep the team afloat should more injuries occur this upcoming season.
Overall, the free agency period so far for the Bulls has been somewhat underwhelming, but at the same time, it was likely that they weren’t going to do anything significant due to a lack of cap space and draft picks. Hopefully, they can add more three-point shooting to bolster the bench before the season starts, as that is something the front office has yet to address. With a few more roster additions and health luck, the Bulls should continue their trajectory from last season as one of the Eastern Conference's top teams.