Bulls Minimum Contracts to Pursue as Late NBA Free Agency Steals
The Chicago Bulls have used the 2024 NBA offseason to shift the franchise's focus forward a bit.
They also haven't obviously abandoned the idea of fielding a competitive club in the 2024-25 campaign. Remember, they didn't fetch a single first-round pick in the deals that sent Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan out of the Windy City, but they did add a couple of potential rotation players in Josh Giddey and Chris Duarte.
The Bulls could still be on the hunt for plug-and-play talent, in other words, and they could find that in the clearance section of free agency. The following three players could hold particular appeal to this franchise if they're open to taking minimum contracts.
Doug McDermott, SF
The Bulls had one of the league's least threatening three-point attacks this past season. It's hard to imagine this offseason corrected that.
Adding Doug McDermott, who spent his first two-plus NBA seasons in Chicago, would be a step in the right direction.
The 32-year-old remains one of the Association's most accurate marksmen. He struggled to find his form following a deadline deal to the Indiana Pacers, and he still capped the 2023-24 campaign with a 41 percent perimeter connection rate. It was the seventh time in 10 seasons he has converted better than 40 percent of his long-range looks.
He doesn't function as much more than a shooting specialist at this stage, but the front office could still see value in his ability to demand defensive attention every time he hits the hardwood.
Marcus Morris Sr., SF/PF
Hopefully, the Bulls already have their frontcourt foundation in place for years to come.
They already locked up Patrick Williams on a five-year, $90 million pact, and they just spent a lottery pick on Matas Buzelis. Now, it's time to fully focus on their development, as few things will be more important for this franchise's future.
It could help having a veteran like Marcus Morris Sr. around to help bring out their best. He would physically challenge them in practice and hopefully help bring out an edge in their game. If he wasn't getting regular minutes, he could also teach a lesson on what it means to be a professional by staying ready for the nights when his number gets called.
In a perfect world, Morris would do enough over the season's first half to convince some contender or hopeful-contender to come calling for him by the trade deadline. The return wouldn't be enormous by any stretch, but the right suitor could part with some draft considerations to add Morris' toughness, experience, defensive versatility and above-average shot-making.
Lonnie Walker IV, SG
Chicago had seven double-digit scorers in its regular rotation this past season. Two of them, DeRozan and Caruso, have already gone, subtracting 34.1 combined points per game from what already wasn't a particularly potent offense.
More subtractions could be coming from that group, too. Zach LaVine has taken up residence on the trade rumor mill, and Nikola Vučević would be an obvious trade candidate if Chicago could find a taker. Subtract those two, and the Bulls would be missing three of their top four scorers from last season.
Shot-making should be a focus for this front office. Lonnie Walker IV offers a good amount of exactly that, especially for an unsigned 25-year-old. An inconsistent outside shot has often hurt his efficiency, but he can heat up in a hurry. He has averaged better than 18 points per 36 minutes in each of the past three seasons, per Basketball-Reference.com.
If he ever harnessed a consistent three-ball, he could be a real asset. Since he hasn't done that yet, though, he might have to settle for minimum money and will perk up some team's second unit whenever he does.