NEWSLETTER
The offseason is officially upon us.
As frustrating as the final couple of months may have been, the process to right those wrongs begins now. Not only will the front office have to make some key contract decisions, but there will also be a draft and free agency period that they will have to knock out of the park to keep this team trending in the right direction.
For a better idea of exactly what the next few months will entail, here’s a brief look at some key dates and deadlines to put on the calendar.
May 16-22: NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley will not have to travel far to scout talent for their No. 18-overall pick.
Chicago Bulls Win Tiebreaker Over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Will Pick No. 18 in the 2022 NBA Drafthttps://t.co/Iqhj2vZTqr pic.twitter.com/vkZtcy5ZhJ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 18, 2022
May 17: NBA Draft Lottery 2022
June 2-19: NBA Finals
June 13: NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (4 p.m. CT)
June 23: NBA Draft 2022
A good reminder: The Bulls can not trade their first-round pick in advance of this date. Since the team traded both their 2021 first-rounder and their 2023 first-rounder to the Orlando Magic, the NBA rules state they must keep their pick in this summer’s draft. Of course, with that said, they can always move the player they take off the board later on. But my guess would be that Karnisovas looks at this pick as a way to add impact talent. The rookie contract, in particular, could be seen as advantageous in an offseason where Zach LaVine is bound to receive a big paycheck.
We should also keep in mind that Karnisovas – who stole Ayo Dosunmu with the No. 38th pick last offseason – does not currently have a second-rounder at his disposal. The team could always still acquire one on draft night, but the team only holds the No. 18 selection for the time being.
June 29: Last day to make qualifying offers
Troy Brown Jr. ($7.2 mil), Malcolm Hill ($1.6mil), and Tyler Cook ($1.6mil) are the three players the Bulls could extend a qualifying offer to in June.
July 1-6: Free agency negotiations begin (moratorium period)
July 6: Start of free agency and transactions
As far as LaVine’s contract extension goes, this will be the timeframe to watch. I have to imagine it will be the first order of business the Bulls want to conduct to give themselves a better idea of their offseason finances.
We will talk plenty more about the free-agent market, but if you want to get caught up on who is available, you can check out the list of players here.
July 13: Last day to revoke qualifying offers
July 7-17: NBA Summer League
Ayo Dosunmu said he wants to play summer league.
Dude is wired the right way.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 28, 2022
September TBD: Training camp
Dates compiled via NBA dot com and HoopsRumors
