Ranking The Chicago Bulls Offseason Moves

The moves the Chicago Bulls made this offseason may not have made major headlines, but they were still important moves that needed to be made. They didn’t try to bring in any big time free agents and they didn’t make any draft day trades. A lot still happened for the Bulls this offseason though, some good and some bad. They’re set to enter the 2015-16 season with the same core roster and a new coach. Some of the moves made me excited for the upcoming season, and others made me scratch my head and wonder why.

Honorable Mention: Bulls Sign Cristiano Felicio

It’s not like the Bulls frontcourt wasn’t deep enough already. They added Bobby Portis this year through the draft and added another big man to their roster after Felicio impressed the Bulls coaches during Summer League.

Felicio is a raw talent, but the 23-year-old has shown a lot of potential for years now. He played in all six Summer League games for the Bulls this year, starting one. Felicio averaged 3.3 PPG on 56.2 percent shooting to go along with 4.5 RPG and .7 BPG. He played for Flamengo in Brazil last year in which he played in 39 games, starting seven. Felicio can make baskets around the rim but doesn’t have a jump shot and struggles from the free throw line. At 6’11”, he does have good size but I’d be surprised if he sees the floor since the Bulls also have Cameron Bairstow, a second round pick last year, on the roster.

5. Bulls Resign Aaron Brooks To 1 year Deal

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It’s not a huge surprise that the Bulls brought back Brooks for another season. They’ve rotated through backup point guards during the Tom Thibodeau era; C.J. Watson, John Lucas III, Nate Robinson and more. Brooks wasn’t terrible for us last year but struggled during the playoffs. His shooting went cold, shooting 30.8 percent from the field in the playoffs compared to 42.1 percent in the regular season. He was one of the few players on the team last year to not deal with injuries as he played in all 82 games, starting 21 for an injured Derrick Rose. There’s a lot worse options at the backup position, but there are also a lot better options. He is capable of making spot starts for Rose to keep him healthy and rested which is huge.

Brooks may also see a little boost in minutes this year due to his offensive abilities. Kirk Hinrich mostly played because Thibs liked him on the defensive end, but Hoiberg is offensive minded which bodes well for Brooks. Brooks can score, that’s what he does best. He averaged 11.6 PPG last season, his highest average since the 2009-10 season.

I’m hoping that Fred Hoiberg‘s new fast paced offense can help him get open shots in transition and help him get to the basket more. Brooks takes questionable shots at times but when his shot is falling it seems like he can’t miss. The money wasn’t there for the Bulls to go out and spend a lot on a backup guard. Brooks is capable of being a backup and fit well in the locker room last year. The Bulls signed him for the veteran’s minimum, and if he’s the player that he was during the regular season and not the postseason, then he will be worth the money.

4. Bulls Re-sign Mike Dunleavy To 3 year, $14.4MM Deal

Mike Dunleavy will be 35 once the season starts, meaning this may be his last contract in the NBA. I wish I could put this signing higher on the list because I think it’s being under appreciated. No, Dunleavy won’t make highlight dunks and he is rarely the main reason you win games, but he does the small things well.

He’s a great vet to have in the locker room and plays hard every night. He’s not the three-point threat that Kyle Korver was for the Bulls, but he still is an above average shooter, shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from behind the arc last season. Dunleavy is a solid all-around player that may end up being a very important backup if the Bulls sign a new small forward within the next couple of years. A lot of the time he goes unnoticed in games because he doesn’t stuff the stat sheet like he used too, but he still gives you quality minutes and may get more open shots in Hoiberg’s new offense.

Dunleavy dealt with injuries last year, but he still started all 63 games he played in. The Cavaliers were also reportedly interested in Dunleavy, who would have been a great guy coming off the bench for them. Not losing him, especially to a division rival, will end up being huge for the Bulls.

While Dunleavy is a solid player, I would like the Bulls to get another small forward to start because his play will continue to decline as he ages. We didn’t have to pay to overpay for him and I think he’s a solid starter, I’m just not sure for how many more years.

3. Bulls Draft Bobby Portis From Arkansas With 22nd Pick

No one thought the big man out of Arkansas would be there when the Bulls picked. I figured with the Bulls depth down low they would draft a point guard, like Tyus Jones from Duke. But when a borderline lottery player drops in your lap at 22 you jump all over it.

Bobby Portis racked up many awards last year, including winning SEC Player Of The Year and being named a Second Team All-American. Portis was a force on both the offensive and defensive side last year for Arkansas, averaging 17.5 PPG and over 1 block and steal per game during his sophomore year.

Portis is also able to run the floor really well for being 6’11”, which could help him see the court more if Hoiberg wants to play faster. He showed flashes in Summer League, notably against the Phoenix Suns when Doug McDermott sat out with an injury. He took over the game for the Bulls as he scored a team-high 25 points and had a game-high 15 rebounds in the loss. This pick could end up being one of the bigger steals of the draft if Portis turns out the way people are thinking.

This pick also gives us a lot of options for our frontcourt. Portis is athletic and will be able to come off the bench and be a good energy guy like Joakim Noah. An addition to an already crowded frontcourt causes rumors to fly about someone possibly being traded as well.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2. Bulls Fire Thibodeau And Sign Fred Hoiberg

It was time for a change. Thibs’ relationship with the front office was irreparable, and the Bulls were coming off a playoff series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after being up 2 games to 1. The Bulls were falling apart, and reports were saying that Thibs had lost control of the locker room. I liked Thibs a lot and thought he was a really good coach, one of the best in the league. But a change was needed and that’s exactly what the Bulls did.

The Bulls went out and got a former Bulls guard, Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State. The last time we saw Hoiberg was when he was walking off the court after his three seeded Iowa State Cyclones lost to UAB in the round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament.

Hoiberg has said that he wants to play at a faster pace and should be better at distributing minutes than Thibodeau was, sorry Jimmy you might not lead the league in MPG again. Last season at Iowa State, Hoiberg had eight players average at least 15 MPG, a little hope that Noah and Rose may get some rest this year.

I think the Bulls needed a change, a new leader, and Hoiberg is the right man for the job. He did a great job building Iowa State into a powerhouse and now enters the NBA with one of the most talented and deepest teams. Going from a defensive mastermind to an offensive guru may seem a little odd, but maybe the Bulls lack of offense was keeping them away from a title the past couple of years.

1. Bulls Re-sign Jimmy Butler To 5 Year Max Deal

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When you have a star you want to keep him. Well, Jimmy Butler is a star and the Bulls made sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Butler has been considered one of the best defenders in the league for a couple of years now, being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team the past two seasons. But his offensive outburst this past season earned him a max deal. Butler turned down a $44 million dollar deal last year and gambled on himself, it paid off.

The most impressive part of Butler’s new game was his jump shot. He improved his field goal percentage from the previous year by 6.5 percent, shooting 46.2 percent last season. He also set career highs in RPG (5.8), APG (3.3) and free throw percentage (83.4 percent). He did that while still playing the same tough defense we’re use to seeing and leading the league in MPG for a second straight season.

He knew someone needed to step up as the Bulls, including himself, dealt with injuries all season long. He’s one of the best shooting guards in the league and a great two-way player. I wish the Bulls offered him a little more last year, but now they’re paying him the maximum. He stepped up last year but now defenses will be eyeing him as he is a focus of the Bulls offense. I hope this wasn’t just a fluke year or else the top move this offseason could quickly take a turn for the worst.

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