NEWSLETTER
UPDATE: Several hours after this post was published, the Chicago Bulls signed Patrick Beverley. You can read more on that deal right here.
*Original post follows*
With Russell Westbrook reportedly headed to the Clippers, the Chicago Bulls have a decision to make. The front office now must decide if a continued pursuit of a buyout guard is worth their time. They have been sniffing around the market for backup options to Westbrook, and NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reiterated that Chicago has spoken with representation for both Patrick Beverley and John Wall.
The Bulls, sources said, also have had contact with representatives for John Wall and Patrick Beverley, although it’s unclear their level of interest in adding either veteran guard.
You can read Johnson’s full article here.
We’ve already talked about the team’s interest in Beverley here. The high-energy, hard-nosed defender still might not be a seamless fit as a distributor, but he would supply the team with more experience and shooting at the point guard position.
On the other hand, we haven’t yet spoken much about John Wall, who was traded back to the Houston Rockets and reached a buyout. His market has been pretty quiet thus far, as he’s averaged just 11.2 points and 5.2 assists on a disappointing 40.8 percent shooting from the field in 34 games this season. While his push-the-pace mentality could be a good fit with the Bulls, he’s another downhill player who provides very little proven shooting.
Let’s also not forget that Wall has played just 116 games since the 2017-18 season. He sat out the entirety of both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. The last time he played more than half of the games in a season came in 2016-17.
For a Bulls team that has dealt so much with injury trouble, it’s hard to think Wall is worth the gamble. Not to mention, his lack of sheer playing time and production in recent years makes his ability to be a true needle-mover highly questionable. While I understand that it feels like the Bulls might not have much to lose at this point, why not just open up more playing time to guys already on the roster?
Whether it be making Dalen Terry a rotational mainstay or giving Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu an ever greater offensive workload, the Bulls may be better off prioritizing internal development than hoping someone like Wall can fix their problems (because … well … he can’t).
As I wrote in our post about Westbrook: The Bulls made this bed, and I’d almost rather have them lay in it until the offseason arrives.
