Malcolm Brogdon has the type of upside and potential that is easy to be enamored with, but it turns out he isn’t the only Milwaukee Bucks guard who could pique the Chicago Bulls’ interest this summer.
Shams Charania (The Athletic) reports the Bucks have waived guard George Hill, which makes him a free agent — and one who could be highly coveted by a number of teams. Among them is a Bulls team that continues to look for backcourt help, even after selecting Coby White with the seventh pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.
It didn’t take long to connect the Bulls and Hill, as K.C. Johnson of the Tribune mentions the newly minted free agent as an option for Chicago. Johnson takes it a step further, sharing word from sources that the Bulls have their eyes on bringing in a point guard on a two-year deal. That type of deal would essentially, eliminate the possibility of signing Brogdon to a big-money, four-year deal — which Johnson notes goes against how the Bulls generally operate in free agency. (Then again, considering how things have gone in recent years, shouldn’t that be reason enough to change the organization’s M.O.? I digress.)
Hill first popped up as a possibility when we explored the point guard market earlier in the week. While Hill doesn’t possess the tremendous potential as the younger Brogdon, Hill is a seasoned veteran with 117 games of postseason experience under his belt and has been a proficient perimeter shooter over the years. Hill has connected on 37.8 percent of his 3-point attempts throughout his career, but that number has bumped up to 39.2 percent the last four seasons. Since the Bulls have had their issues shooting the three-ball in recent years, a pursuit of Hill would make sense.
There figures to be some stiff competition for a guard like Hill, so let’s keep tabs on some other options who Johnson suggests could be on the Bulls’ radar such as Cory Joseph and Tyus Jones. Johnson also highlights Darren Collison as an “intriguing fit” for what the Bulls are doing, especially since it looks like Ricky Rubio is angling to take the spot Collison is vacating with the Pacers.
And yet, it’s tough to look at the Bulls’ backcourt situation and not be intrigued by Brogdon. Because even though he would come with a high price tag and eat up some minutes that would otherwise go to White, the fit is too good to ignore. Even Johnson goes as far to describe Brogdon as a winning player who could play on or off the ball. And while splash moves haven’t been in the Bulls’ DNA in recent years, it just takes one wise move to change the narrative.
This market is loaded with point guard options. And since the Bulls have a rookie with upside in tow, they won’t need to go above and beyond to find a complimentary piece. But if they do, that option remains lurking should the front office choose to follow a different path.