Chicago Has a Tricky Decision to Make When it Comes to Qualifying Offers (and Other Bulls Bullets)

I’ll just let the Bulls take this one:

•   Pick one: Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, or Shaquille Harrison? It’s only a matter of time before the Chicago Bulls front office must officially decide which player they extend a qualifying offer to this offseason. While the team could try to keep multiple players on board, one or none feels like the most likely outcome. With the little cap space this new front office does have, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley may be eager to get a couple of fresh faces into the mix. In fact, Karnisovas practically said as much a couple of months ago:

•   The question is what kind of player(s) does Karnisovas expect to add in free agency? A veteran presence? Another young piece? A point guard? A wing? That answer will likely play a role in deciding which current-Bull sticks around. All may be guards, but they offer something a bit different as rotation pieces. Dunn is an elite perimeter defender with little offensive upside. Valentine is a high-IQ player who provides solid passing and the best 3-point stroke of the bunch – though, he also happens to be incredibly injury prone and athletically limited. On the other hand, Harrison is an athletic freak who plays scrappy on defense and streaky on offense. He’s a decent passer and should probably be considered the most all-around player of these three. How good can he really be, though?

•   For fans, the obvious answer feels like Dunn, but it’s not that simple. The 26-year-old’s qualifying offer is the priciest, and the Bulls are already stuffed at point guard. Not to mention, there is a good chance teams try to go after him in restricted free agency, thus forcing the Bulls to consider paying him more. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson recently wrote in his mailbag that he could envision Denzel Valentine as the player who sticks around thanks to his ball-handling and passing ability. I would certainly understand this decision, but I’m also more curious to see what a player like Harrison could do under Billy Donovan. We’ve seen the Bulls new head coach turn athletically gifted yet somewhat confusing players like Harrison into incredibly valuable role players.

•   The Athletic’s John Hollinger is high on Harrison’s potential, so much so that he believes he’s one of the free-agent guards who is worth the Mid-Level Exception. More specifically, Hollinger puts Harrison’s value at $8 million a year, which is shocking considering his salary last season was an estimated $842,166, per Spotrac. I doubt Harrison nets that kind of contract this offseason, but I agree he could be far more valuable than we’ve seen in recent seasons. So if the Bulls can snatch him up with a $1.7 QO, it could be deemed an absolute steal. Anyway, Hollinger gave his opinion on the value for Dunn, Valentine, Harrison, and Adam Mokoka(!) in his latest free-agent rankings, so give it a read!

•   ICYMI: Mo Cheeks is back in the city where it all started!

•   The moment I saw this hire, I got excited for Coby White. The 20-year-old guard is about to enter his second year in the league, which means he is the epitome of impressionable. Questions have always loomed about White’s ability to become a lead guard and distribute the basketball, but if anyone can help push White in the right direction in both areas, it’s a former-player like Cheeks. As someone who played with an impressive court vision and an affinity for passing, Cheeks should be able to teach White how to become a better playmaker. Cheeks also may not have had White-level speed, but he was a strong transition player back in the day. In other words, he can truly relate to White’s game in some ways, which should only make it easier to put him in a position to succeed. And, of course, Cheeks was also a fantastic defensive player, so let’s hope his active hands can rub off on White too.

•   Well, those are all things sports fans tend to like …

•   Be a GOAT and VOTE.

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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