Bulls Free Agency Primer: Small Forwards

NBA free agency opens at the stroke of midnight on July 1, which players will the Chicago Bulls be pursuing and who is a good fit?

This year, the free agent class features some marquee names and adds the complexity of a rocketing salary cap, which now reaches $94 million. We are going to look at each position throughout the week, determining who are some of the top players who will be available and the likelihood that they end up with the Chicago Bulls.

On Monday, we looked at point guards and yesterday it was shooting guards. Today, we are looking at the free agent market for small forwards.

What even is a small forward in the modern NBA? Is it Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic, or Jimmy Butler? Hopefully not, probably not, and maybe. McDermott might be this position, but not much more than a backup no matter where you put him due to his inability to perform as a two-way player. Mirotic probably, definitely belongs at the power forward position where he can space the floor and use his versatility to look for mismatches in athleticism and his defender’s ability to cover the perimeter. So, I’d say the Bulls have Jimmy Butler right now. So your star player is the guy who should be lining up at small forward most often. Yet, Butler will probably facilitate the offense in a “point guard” type role much more frequently than ever before now that Derrick Rose is gone. Sound a bit messy or confusing? That’s the Gar Forman way, it seems.

Here are some of the top small forwards of the 2016 free agent class:

Kevin Durant (Unrestricted Free Agent)

Durant is far and away the clear No. 1 talent on the free agent market. Now, I know Bulls fans remember a time not even two decades ago when the Bulls had not one, but two of the best players in the entire league on their roster. So it would to be an afterthought to even ask if the Bulls have a meeting with Durant or are consider a potential landing spot for former league MVP in the prime of his career. Except, that isn’t the case in 2016. As of right now, there is no news that Chicago even has a meeting with Durant. Perhaps Forman sees it as a waste of time since all signs point to Durant staying in Oklahoma City for one more year so that he and Westbrook can depart at the same time. Still, nothing says “signaling your intentions” for the direction of your team like not getting a sit-down with one of the top five players in the league.

Nicolas Batum (Unrestricted Free Agent)

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Batum could be a nice fit in Chicago. Not a game changing talent that puts them back into contention, but very good. In all likelihood, he’s re-signed on a long-term deal with the Charlotte Hornets for Forman or John Paxson even figure out how to pronounce his name, but he’s an option. To be honest, the Bulls would be better off not using what cap space they have to chase Batum and he’s a long shot anyway.

Harrison Barnes (Restricted Free Agent)

This one is awfully tricky. What do you believe about Harrison Barnes? Either he’s an incredible talent that will emerge as a top 10 or 15 player during his next contract or he’s the fourth option on the greatest regular season team of all-time who absolutely ghosted in the biggest games of his career. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. Nothing suggests that Barnes is going to be in the same breath, sentence or maybe even paragraph as a LeBron James or Kevin Durant, but he is the prototype of the modern 3-and-D type player who can score baskets, is extremely athletic and capable of playing above average defense. Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, he’s a restricted free agent and the Warriors have the right to match any offer and likely will unless they can steal Durant from OKC.

Next: Bulls Free Agent Target: Evan Fournier

Kent Bazemore (Unrestricted Free Agent)

Bazemore might be the most Chicago-esque of all these players listed. He’s not a huge upside guy but has all the other pieces in place that the Bulls seem to love: huge personality, big effort, and constantly getting after LeBron James. He’s basically the mini-Joakim Noah and what would Chicago be if not so delusional to think that they are the biggest threat to the Cavaliers and kings of the Central Division. Bazemore could easily trick the Bulls front office in to loving him, but I’m hoping GarPax will Baze-less.

Chandler Parsons (Unrestricted Free Agent)

Parsons is a flat, “Please, no.” It isn’t just the injuries or the Instagram photos. No, Parsons just isn’t that great for what he will be seeking on the market. Also, a player seeking the money and playing time that Parsons will be looking for starts to disrupt the minutes for McDermott, Mirotic, and possibly Butler. If Chicago really thinks that McDermott was worth two other picks, they can’t afford to marginalize him in his third season when he’s already failed to wow for two full years. Similarly, Mirotic has a lot of skills and is already being played out of position so you can’t bring in another guy who pushes Mirotic further toward inconsistency which has been his biggest obstacle so far.

Next: Top 5 Attainable Free Agents for Bulls

Trust me, I also wanted to dig in on the odds Forman thinks Evan Turner, Josh Smith or Lance Stephenson would be worth lots of money and lots of years, but I’m much too afraid of that potential reality to go any further with it.

We will have more in-depth coverage on some of the players who will be available via free agency throughout the week so be sure to check in with us each day as July 1 inches closer. Tomorrow, we will look at free agent power forward options for the Bulls.