Resetting the Bulls Roster Heading Into the Offseason

As much as it may pain you, let’s take a look at the Chicago Bulls roster situation.

With the offseason only a few short weeks away from really heating up, the Bulls end of season team could look pretty different by the time October rolls around. With several restricted free agents and un-solidified bench players, the Bulls will most likely be heading into the 2019-20 season with some different options throughout the roster.

The team is projected to have over $20 million in cap space as of now, and that should help them fill some holes during free agency.

Starters/Key Players:

  • Kris Dunn, PG – Signed through 2019-20 season (owed $5,348,007 this year)
  • Zach LaVine, SG – Signed through 2021-22 season (owed $19,500,000 this year)
  • Otto Porter Jr., SF – Signed through 2020-21 season (owed $28,489,239 this year)
  • Lauri Markkenen, PF – Signed through 2020-21 season (owed $6,731,708 this year)
  • Robin Lopez, C – Unrestricted Free Agent
  • Wendell Carter Jr., C – Signed through 2021-22 season
  • Bench/Others:

  • Ryan Arcidiacono, PG – Restricted Free Agent
  • Shaquille Harrison, PG – Restricted Free Agent
  • Walt Lemon Jr., PG – Signed a contract with the team on March 29, 2019. The specifics were not released.
  • Denzel Valentine, G – Signed through 2019-20 season
  • Antonio Blakeney, SG – Signed through 2019-20 season
  • Rawle Alkin, SG – Restricted Free Agent
  • Brandon Sampson, SG – Restricted Free Agent
  • Chandler Hutchinson, SF – Signed through 2021-22 season
  • Wayne Seldon, SF – Restricted Free Agent
  • Cristiano Felicio, C – Signed through 2020-21
  • Clearly, the Bulls are not on the brink of losing any high-impact talent. The extension for LaVine keeps him around for a while, and the Bulls trade earlier this year for Porter Jr. (an actual good trade for Gar/Pax!) was made with two years left on his contract.

    The real question here becomes how do you approach the center and point guard position? We’ve talked about it before, but the Bulls have made it more than obvious that Kris Dunn doesn’t appear to be in the long-term plans. It looks likely that Dunn will hang around one more year and become a back-up option to a free agent or he’ll end up splitting time with a rookie. The chance of him being thrown into a trade package is always possible as well, but his value isn’t all that high.

    As for the center spot, Wendell Carter Jr. is the future. Considering he is still rather raw and coming off a season-ending injury, it would be ideal for Chicago to have a veteran presence down low. Personally, I believe Robin Lopez is a good locker room guy to keep around, and he obviously breaks the grit and toughness meter that comes with playing “Bolyen-ball” (that sounds like a really bad 90s kids toy). Unfortunately, I see another team swooping in with a better contract than the Bulls can offer for Lopez. Then, the team is back to the Cristiano Felicio experiment, who is owed an ever-so-frustrating $8,156,500 this year.

    For the rest of the team, the Bulls just need to hit that level-up button. Relying on some two-way contract players needs to come to an end. For Chicago to really get back in the Eastern Conference Playoffs conversation, the depth needs to be improved. With a more concrete point guard (and no more injury trouble) the starting rotation is enough to keep you in the race, but ultimately the guys coming in as relief will push them over the playoff hump.

    written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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