NBA Free Agency: Trying to make a case for the Bulls to sign Paul Millsap

Since joining the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013-14 season, Paul Millsap has been one of the NBA’s most underappreciated players. The four-time All-Star is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and with the Bulls’ power forward situation looking a bit murky, could they look to make a move?

During his four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-17, Paul Millsap averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 steals and made the NBA All-Star Game in each of those four seasons.

On Monday, The Vertical‘s Shams Charania reported that Millsap would decline his $21.4 million player option for the 2017-18 season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Millsap signed a two-year deal (plus one) back in 2015 worth around $60 million with a player option for the 2017-18 season.

Millsap has mentioned before that wouldn’t mind staying in Atlanta with the Hawks, who have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the last four seasons, including the best season in franchise history back in 2014-15 when the Hawks won 60 games and locked up the conference’s top seed.

But, the intrigue of Millsap playing elsewhere is there and with his versatility on both ends of the floor, there will be plenty of suitors for the 32-year-old’s services this summer. Could the Bulls be one of those suitors?

Let’s try to make a case for the Bulls signing Paul Millsap this summer.

Why should the Bulls sign a 32-year-old power forward when the mantra is “younger and more athletic”?

That’s a wonderful question.

Sure, the Bulls need to get younger and more athletic; Gar Forman’s mantra from last summer … right before he and John Paxson offered contracts to 30+ year-olds Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.

The Bulls have gotten younger with their moves since the ends of last season, but more athletic? That’s debatable.

Millsap is an underappreciated player for a number of reasons. He can guard multiple positions with his strength and long arms. Despite being on the other side of 30 already, Millsap would instantly make the Bulls and their defense better, especially next to a solid rim protector like Robin Lopez. With Millsap in the fold, Lopez wouldn’t be such a negative in opponents’ pick-and-roll sets away from the rim as we saw during Games 3-6 against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs.

During this past season, Millsap had a defensive rating of 103.9, which was good for 14th in the entire NBA, ahead of guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mr. First Team All-Defense himself, Tony Allen.

OK, so he’s a good defender. That’s nice. What about the Bulls’ front court situation already?

You’re just full of good questions, aren’t you?

Here’s the thing with the Bulls up front: there’s a chance that the Bulls could look completely different next season. It’s unlikely (at least after listening to John Paxson after the season ended), but the Bulls could lose Cristiano Felicio, Nikola Mirotic and little-used Joffrey Lauvergne this summer.

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That puts the power forward position in the hands of Bobby Portis and Paul Zipser as a small-ball four heading into next season if those three are gone. That’s not good. Portis has shown glimpses of being a good player on the offensive end (i.e. Game 1 vs. Boston), but he’s a disaster on the defensive end early in his career.

This is where Millsap comes into play. If the Bulls are going to run with veterans leading their “young core”, Millsap can be a great piece to the puzzle that makes the Bulls a bit more intriguing in the process.

Also, Millsap would be a solid offensive piece for the Bulls to put around Jimmy Butler. Despite a drop in his numbers from his last two seasons, he shot over 46 percent from the field in four years in Atlanta and 33.5 percent from deep. The latter percentage isn’t great (although he shot 18-for-41 (43.9 percent) from the corner 3 this season), but he’s willing to shoot them and stretch the floor, which opens up driving lanes for Butler and Co.

Millsap does his damage inside the arc, but isn’t shackled the painted area by any means.

Fair enough. Let’s talk money now. How can the Bulls sign a guy that’s eligible for a 10+ year max contract that’s worth over $200 million if he’s in Atlanta with Bird Rights?

This was a great read from Robert (@atlhawksfanatic) SB Nation‘s Peachtree Hoops on Paul Millsap’s potential contract situation in Atlanta and elsewhere this summer.

"Paul has accumulated over 10 years of NBA service (11 to be exact), which entails that he is now eligible for a maximum salary of 35% of the Salary Cap per the new CBA. Assuming a $102 million salary cap, we can expect Paul to have a maximum starting salary of around $35.7 million."

Here’s where the main issue is.

Millsap is already 32 and is likely looking for one final huge payday. With things how they are now, that’s not happening in Chicago. Dwyane Wade has a player option for almost $24 million and if the Bulls don’t cut Rondo before the end of June, he’s in line to make $13+ million next season.

Jimmy Butler will enter year three of his five-year, $95 million deal that he signed two summers ago next season. Add in Robin Lopez slated to make almost $14 million next year and the Bulls don’t have the cap space to sign Millsap even for a four-year, $154 million (or so) deal this summer, nor do they want to pay a then-36-year-old power forward over $41 million in the 2020-21 season.

Mark Karantzoulis, the BullsHQ owner, podcaster and friend of the site, broke down the Bulls’ salary cap projections for the 2017-18 season with a few notes included:

For the Bulls to sign Millsap, Wade not returning under his player option for next season (that he likely won’t get anywhere else) would basically have to be a must. Still, even if that happened, the Bulls would only have a shade over $30 million ($30,076,804 with Mark’s projections) in cap space for next season. That’s not even enough for the first year of a four-year deal for Millsap.

The Bulls would have to let Wade walk and would probably have to cut Rondo, which, if you listened to John Paxson after the season ended, that doesn’t sound like that’s happening.

It’s an option, but the Bulls could go into the luxury tax to make a move for Millsap, but … yeah … it’s the Bulls front office we’re discussing here, so let’s move on.

That … doesn’t sound like the Bulls could do a deal.

Well, when you put it like that.

It would be tough for the Bulls to make a deal for a big name with what they have now. Both Paxson and Forman noted that they don’t really know what they have with their young core right now and they want to see more out of them next season.

Next: NBA Free Agency: Kyle Lowry can address Bulls' point guard situation

If that’s the case, plus Rondo — the favorite among the young players — coming back for at least one more year and Butler not being traded to Boston (or somewhere else), a guy like Millsap won’t be coming to town.