Chicago Bulls Free Agency Target: Point Guard Mike Conley
The Chicago Bulls may be targeting premier point guard Mike Conley, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Conley has spent his entire career with the Memphis Grizzlies but he appears to be looking for a change of scenery. Could Chicago be his new home?
Mike Conley is the best available point guard in the offseason this year, and now that Derrick Rose is no longer playing for the Bulls, there is a talent gap at the position.
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Jerian Grant and Spencer Dinwiddle may have potential, but nobody in Chicago should want either of them to be the starting point guard on the team next season. This is one of the many reasons that Conley, a fantastic and experienced player, would fit very well with the Bulls.
Although Conley has been a star in the league for a few years now, it’s important to note that last season was rough for him. He never played a game after March 6th due to an injured Achilles, and even when he was playing, his numbers weren’t great.
He averaged 15.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting a poor 42.2 percent from the field. Compared to the 16.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds on 42.7 percent shooting that Rose had last year, it’s tough to see Conley as a huge upgrade.
must read: Derrick Rose: A Friend, A Mentor and My Big Brother
However, the value Conley would provide in Chicago exceeds just his talent, because unlike Rose, Conley’s skills compliment the Bulls’ franchise player Jimmy Butler very well.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle notes some of the positives of a Conley-Butler pairing:
"Both can do a little bit of everything — run the pick-and-roll, defend and play off the ball. Conley can space the floor when Butler initiates the offense, something Rose couldn’t do. And Conley’s ability to defend point guards would allow Butler to focus full time on wing defense."
Overall, it looks like a combination of Conley and Butler would be very beneficial to the Bulls. However, general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxton may not be interested in Conley at all for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is due to the cost.
Conley will likely earn a max, four-year (or five if he stays in Memphis) deal worth millions. The Bulls will have the cap space to afford this assuming Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah leave, but it would take almost all of the remaining cap room. If management doesn’t see Conley as too large of an upgrade, then they may not want to pay him a max contract.
The second reason is his age.
At 28 years old, Conley is in the midst of his prime, and thus a perfect player to pursue, right?
Not so fast.
Even though being 28 is considered a great age for a basketball player, GarPax may find him a little too old for their “retooling” process. If they strongly considered trading Butler (which despite their denial we know they have), who is only 26 years old, it’s plausible that Conley may be too old for their liking.
After trading Rose to the New York Knicks last week, Forman said the following:
"As we said at the end of last season, we are committed to exploring every option to improve this team. This trade is a significant step in that process. Our goal is to get younger and more athletic, and this trade moves us in that direction and allows us to start changing the structure of our team."
The issue with Conley in regards to these comments is that Rose is only 27 years old.
Next: New Bull Profile: Jerian Grant
If GarPax truly wish to become a younger, more athletic team, then Conley will not be pursued this summer, even if he is a great fit with the Bulls. This, combined with Conley’s interest in the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, means it’s highly unlikely that he will end up a Bull.