The Chicago Bulls should seriously consider a run at Nicolas Batum in offseason.
The Chicago Bulls are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, which is why my focus right now is on what they should do this offseason. Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald was asked an excellent question in a mailbag from a Twitter user, and I felt compelled to address it below. It concerned Charlotte Hornets wingman Nicolas Batum and whether the Bulls should pursue him in free agency. Here is an excerpt from the question.
“Q. Do you think it will be smart for the Bulls to chase (Charlotte’s) Nic Batum as a free agent? Let Pau (Gasol) walk bring back (Joakim) Noah a la (Golden State’s) Andrew Bogut? — @Bo_Bankz
Batum might be a solution for the small forward spot. He has played well for the Hornets this season and will be a free agent, but is not as good a 3-point shooter (career .361) as you might expect.”
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McGraw makes some nice points here, but he misses out on what an excellent passer Batum is. He would be a perfect fit next to Jimmy Butler as a result of this, and Batum’s excellent shooting would give the Bulls a lot of space and open up driving lanes. He has also shot over 37% from three-point land three times in his career, and he hasn’t always played with the best (or healthiest) teammates.
The Bulls are patiently waiting for Mike Dunleavy to return from offseason back surgery and fill the hole they have at the starting small forward spot, but Batum would offer a long-term solution to that problem. McGraw mentioned in his piece the rising salary cap, and this is key. The Bulls will have plenty of money to throw around, especially if Pau Gasol decides to move on from Chicago. Obviously, this wouldn’t be an ideal scenario for fans in the Windy City, but Batum would be a pretty nice consolation prize. He’ll be targeted by a lot of teams though after he rejuvenated the Hornets this season with his excellent shooting and 5.4 assists per game. How he is averaging more assists than Kemba Walker is beyond me, and I never would’ve guessed that the Hornets would be in the playoff hunt this season.
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They’re still two games behind the Detroit Pistons for the No. 8 overall spot, but Batum is the main reason they have something to play for right now. Hopefully, the Bulls will pursue him in free agency, because Dunleavy is no longer a spring chicken at 35 years old with a bad back. Batum brings no age or injury issues to the table, and his passing and shooting could help push the Bulls over the edge.