Guys who need to go
Though the Clash sang, “Should I Stay or Should I Go”, this cluster of former Bulls need to do the latter. This group contains Michael Carter-Williams, Paul Zipser, Anthony Morrow and Cristiano Felicio. Perhaps the trio weren’t the worst guys on the bench, but with a re-structuring, they don’t quite make sense.
Guard-heavy for the duration of 2016-17, Carter-Williams was emblematic to the struggle of the position. Averaging 6.6 points and 2.5 assists, the guard wasn’t great … but his 36.6 percent clip from the field is the greater problem.
All U Can Heat
Although Paul Zipser was a second-rounder last year, his game is particularly unexciting. While his 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds were solid for a later-round pick, he doesn’t appear to have a much greater upside.
There is a high likelihood that Dwyane Wade will be back next season. Wade is hurt often, meaning Valentine will get more minutes as a two than a three. Zipser will see his role shrink even more if a similar talent is picked. Although inexpensive, Zipser is expendable.
Similar to Zipser in rationale, but different in situation will be Anthony Morrow. The nine-year veteran will hit free agency after coming over from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline. In 9.7 minutes per game, Morrow averaged just 4.6 points. He’s not worth retention.
Cristiano Felicio rounds out the bunch as one of the few big guys on the Bulls payroll. He’ll hit restricted free agency in June and the Bulls haven’t made his future clear. A modest 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season may keep his locker in Chicago.
However, there are a lot of guys who can do what Felicio provides. If a team offers him a high-ball offer, which I expect, he’ll likely head elsewhere.
A note on No. 16 and No. 38 before we get to the fun part
Due to the location of the Bulls’ first and second-round selections, they’re likely picking guys who will begin their career on the bench. Though they could develop quickly, there’s not usually instant-impact starting talent at those spots.
This is why I included Canaan and Mirotic in proverbial limbo, because the guy who would take their job would be in the draft class.
While a rookie on the bench is always obnoxious, because we want to watch them extensively, it could be interesting to see a true sixth-man start to factor in from this class of Bulls rookies.