NEWSLETTER
Early activity in the free agency period has helped the Bulls cross off needs from their to-do list. And yet, there is still (at least) one more piece to the offseason puzzle that needs to be fit in at some point soon.
The Bulls still plan to look for shooter and/or another big with some or all of their room exception of $4.77M.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 1, 2019
Even after the additions of Young and Satoransky, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes the Bulls still have the mid-level exception ($4.77 million) that can be used to acquire more depth the team desires. Perhaps in the form of a wing shooter? Or maybe another big man who can bang down low is more in the Bulls’ wheelhouse. Either way, the team still has needs that need to be addressed.
In that vein, Matt Peck of Bulls Outsiders shared a list of interesting candidates who could be targeted with the mid-level exception:
Possible #Bulls options to use that room exception by position:
SG – VC, Jamal Crawford, Corey Brewer, Wesley Matthews
SF – Jeff Green, Jared Dudley, Thabo Sefolosha, Luol Deng, James Ennis
Bigs – Tolliver, Jerebko, Kleber, Theis, Vonleh, Faried, Nene, Amir Johnson, Kanter
— Matt Peck (@Bulls_Peck) July 1, 2019
This list features all sort of neat options!
Jamal Crawford, Luol Deng, and Thabo Sefolosha have all put in work with the Bulls in previous years. And who doesn’t love a reunion? Anthony Tolliver, Kenneth Faried, Nene, and Jonas Jerebko could be depth options for a front-court whose starters missed a sizable chunk of games last year due to injuries. Wesley Matthews, Corey Brewer, James Ennis, and Jeff Green are usable wings, too.
But as far as I’m concerned, give all the MLE monies to Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. because I don’t care that he can’t do this any more, I just want reasons to share this #content:
But also, Carter has shot the 3-ball at a 37.1 percent clip since the start of the 2015-16 season. That’s pretty good. Veteran leadership and a solid 3-point shooting stroke? Sign me up!
The 2018-19 Bulls finished with 24th in 3-pointers made, 20th in attempts, and 26th in shooting percentage from beyond the arc. No matter how it’s sliced, Chicago was no good shooting the basketball from the 3-point stripe. And while Otto Porter (48.8%), Zach Lavine (37.4%), and Lauri Markkanen (36.1%) were respectable (or better!) 3-point shooters, those three can’t carry the load when the rest of the guys are dragging them down.
The Bulls wanted a veteran front-court presence with know-how, versatility, and a track record of playing alongside young players who need to be molded into winners, so they signed Thaddeus Young. They also needed another guard for their back-court. Someone with experience in the league, but also still young enough to grow with a budding core. And with the creative sign-and-trade acquisition of Tomas Satoransky, the Bulls did what they set out to accomplish. But still … there is still work to be done.
