Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Bulls Free Agency Target: Portland’s Meyers Leonard

By Ben Rains

Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard (11) reacts after making a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard (11) reacts after making a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Meyers Leonard will officially become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Portland Trail Blazers just extended their qualifying offer. Leonard will turn it down of course, but it allows the Blazers to match outside offers. One of those offers should come from the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls should pursue Meyers Leonard because he fits perfectly into the direction they are hoping to head.

Leonard is huge (7’1″), athletic, versatile and young. He shot 39.4 percent from 3-point range and he’s just 24 years old. That fits the billing of Bulls general manager Gar Forman wanting the Bulls to get “younger and more athletic”.

He does a lot of things really well offensively. Leonard can play the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. He consistently runs the floor hard and more importantly, he cuts to the rim with a purpose and can finish strong.

Leonard is a real threat from deep and it is a shot that he developed relatively quickly. The former Illini standout was drafted by the Blazers in 2012 based mostly on size and potential. During his first two seasons in Portland, he rarely shot three-pointers.

Last season, he attempted 3.7 per game.

More from Bulls News

The 24-year-old has not even come close to reaching his ceiling. He’s got a great feel for the game, a soft touch around the rim and is more than capable from hitting mid-range jumpers.

There are a few concerns that also come with Leonard.

He hasn’t played a full season yet in the NBA and just recently was cleared to shoot after undergoing shoulder surgery in early April. Leonard had a bit of a drop-off efficiency-wise in a larger role last season, compared to his stellar 2014-15 campaign.

A lot of his attempts from behind the arc were created by excellent dribble penetration leaving him wide open, which skews his numbers a bit.

He is not the most highly sought-after free agent, but he is thought of very highly in Portland, and we have touted his ability here recently.

With a growing salary cap, the Bulls would probably have to pay him $10-15 million per year.

Leonard has the ability to play power forward or center and the length to shoot over almost anyone on the perimeter. He plays extremely hard. His passion and heart have shined through since his rookie season. His absence was glaring during Portland’s second-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.

More from Pippen Ain't Easy

Leonard can play within the flow of the offense. He’s physical and has shown flashes of a solid back-to-the-basket game.

Defensively, he has the quickness and lateral speed to stay in front of bigs as well as perimeter players. He would be able to fit into the Bulls big man rotation pretty effortlessly. He played very well alongside his former teammate and current Bull Robin Lopez.

He averaged only 8.4 points per game while playing just less than 22 minutes and along with his injury history, there is cause for concern if the Bulls were to acquire him in free agency.

But, the Illinois native is worth serious consideration with Taj Gibson‘s future in doubt.

The young big man is not close to reaching his NBA ceiling.

Home/Bulls News