How should the Chicago Bulls approach the offseason?
With the conference finals well underway and only a couple of weeks left in the NBA’s restart bubbleA, many teams are already gearing up for next season. The Chicago Bulls made a splash earlier this week when they announced the hiring of Billy Donovan as the team’s next head coach.
After Donovan announced his departure from Oklahoma City a few weeks ago, he preferred taking over an up-and-coming Bulls team which is already well into a rebuild.
The big question now is going to be, can the Bulls become a contender in the East as soon as next year? I’m not sure about a Conference Finals contender, but playoff team, I don’t see why not. Chicago is well into a rebuild and already hold some young star power under contract and only a couple of notable upcoming free agents.
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Lockdown defensive guards Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine are both set to be restricted free agents this offseason, meaning Chicago has the power to match any offer that is thrown their way. I think Dunn is a top priority to bring back, and with the emergence of lethal scoring rookie Coby White, the two can be a great duo running the point.
Valentine, on the other hand, has dealt with many injuries over the last few years, and although he is a former first round pick, I would think Chicago wouldn’t mind losing him if he’s given an offer sheet not worth matching.
Otto Porter, Jr. also has a $28 million player option remaining, the final year of the absurd four-year contract he received from Washington back in 2017. He’ll undoubtedly pick up the last year of his contract, as his market price is no where close to what he’s owed.
Besides that, the Bulls are looking sharp with the rest of their core on the books for a while. Their star Zach LaVine has two years remaining and Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, and Coby White remain on their rookie contracts. They also hold a deep veteran presence with Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky, Ryan Arcidiacano, and Luke Kornet still under contract. Along with this, the Bulls also hold the fourth overall pick in this November’s NBA Draft.
With a lineup of Dunn/White, LaVine, Porter, Markkanen, and Carter, I think the Bulls will look to choose a forward with their top pick to add to the young core. After drafting Daniel Gafford last year and retaining a lot of veteran guards and big men, the 2 and 3 may be the Bulls’ biggest needs. Deni Avdija and Obi Toppin pop out as the two most likely targets for Chicago and are probably two players that both will be on the board at the fourth pick.
Either one would blend nicely with the young star power the team already holds. Especially Avdija, who is looked at as a point forward, can blend well with score-first options LaVine and White in the backcourt.
As far as free agency signings, the Bulls don’t need to break the bank on anyone big. Some depth players would help and with the potential of not re-signing Kris Dunn and/or Denzel Valentine and the ability to shop Thaddeus Young to a contender, they could look to find replacements. If Dunn is not retained, a couple of replacement options could be a reunion with Rajon Rondo as a backup or Shabazz Napier, two players they can get for cheap.
The Bulls are looking solid, and with Billy Donovan geared up to take over, there should be a lot of faith that Chicago could have a playoff team once again very soon. Only time will tell, although I absolutely love this hiring. Donovan is a coach that demands the most out of his players and will be well respected in the locker room, an issue that plagued Jim Boylen’s tenure with the Bulls.