NEWSLETTER
Arguably, there’s no bigger Chicago offseason topic then the Bulls hunt for a point guard (do we sound like a broken record yet?). And for a while, we thought that topic would be addressed thoroughly through the draft. Unfortunately, the odds were not in the Bulls favor this Spring, and the Bulls point guard of the future may not be available at No.7, when they finally go on the clock. With that being the case, the organization could very well look to solve the problem in free agency.
Over the last couple months, Bulls Vice President John Paxson has spoken repeatedly about the team’s intent to bring in veteran players this summer to help balance out their otherwise young roster. In fact, during his most recent interview with NBC Sports Chicago’s Mark Schanowski, he mentioned that he can envision the Bulls targeting about three veteran guys this offseason.
And I think it’s safe to assume that regardless of whom is drafted, a veteran guard will be added to this roster before the offseason is over. And since plenty of names are already floating around out there, let’s take a look at some possible, realistic adds for the Bulls.
Obtainable
One of the most common names linked to the Bulls so far has been the Celtics Terry Rozier.
The 25-year-old guard has playoff experience under his belt and plays with a level of enthusiasm that’s rare to find. However, Rozier’s numbers have actually drawn comparisons to that of current Bulls point guard Kris Dunn. You can check out a good map of that here. When you watch the two play, the similarities will not be nearly as glaring, but the product on the court being similar is definitely worth a discussion in a front office meeting. They know that … right? 🙂
Meanwhile, the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley is a name that comes with a bit more confidence. The guy is a legitimate NBA veteran who has plenty of starting point guard experience. He isn’t the scoring type but rather focuses on facilitating and defense. Beverley just had the second-best rebounding season of his career with 5.0 per game, and he also had his second-best season dishing out assists with 3.8 per game. Initially, I wasn’t sold on him when he came into the conversation, but watching him play Durant in the playoffs helped pull me in.
Those two names may be the most flashy in the obtainable category, but there are several other free agent players around the league that could come in and provide similar productivity. For example, I think about a guy like the Pelicans Elfrid Payton.
This past season, he had trouble staying healthy, but the injuries weren’t anything that should have a long-term impact. And, in fact, he was in the top-20 for assists per game during his first four seasons in the league – a streak that broke after playing in only 42 games this year … but during his time on the court, he was actually averaging a career-high 7.6 assists per game.
As a scorer, Payton has managed 11.1 ppg throughout his career and has the ability to make big plays around the rim thanks to his ball-handling prowess. Chances are he’d be worth a lot more without suffering his injuries this season. While New Orleans may try to bring him back, Chicago could have a chance to lock him up with a two-year deal on a rather inexpensive contract.
Other names that could be short-term signs for the Bulls would be the 76ers TJ McConnell and Pacers Cory Joseph. Both traditionally back-up point guards, the two have experience on winning teams and dishing out the basketball to scorers. I can’t imagine that either would get considerable starting time, but each could be paired nicely with a young, drafted guard.
Could be in the discussion
The Pacers Darren Collison and Ricky Rubio (isn’t that a great name?) are generally desired candidates for open jobs around the league. Both are long-time starting guards, and would most definitely cost more to bring into Chicago than the above options. The Bulls do have the cap space to make a go at either one of them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if each is offered a better, long-term deal from another team. If anything, signing Collison to a short-term deal may be easier considering teams may be wary of offering him too many years due to his age (he will be 32 in August). Rubio, 28, on the other hand, I can see getting a nice three to four-year offer somewhere other than Chicago.
Malcolm Brogdon has slowly grown into the discussion. I talked about him a bit the other day, so I’ll keep this brief. The guy is going to get a nice size contract. He is restricted and there is definitely a chance Milwaukee tries to keep him around, but with all the money they have tied in Eric Bledsoe, he may choose to go elsewhere. I suppose it is possible the Bulls decide to try and throw all their marbles into that basket, but it could end up getting quite expensive.
In the end, the Bulls will have an abundance of guards in front of them this offseason, but the team has to highly consider how much of an investment they are looking to make. With the rebuild still in full effect, every move that GarPax decides to make will have long-term effects on the future. The two just need to keep in mind that every dollar spent out of the wallet right now might need to be pulled out later.
