If I was the general manager of the Chicago Bulls
A dabble into free agency this summer
Here’s the list of players that are not officially signed by the Chicago Bulls for the 2017-18 season:
- Dwyane Wade – $23,800,000 player option for ’17-18 season
- Rajon Rondo – $13,397,000 partially-guaranteed team option for ’17-18 season
- Nikola Mirotic – Restricted free agent
- Anthony Morrow – Unrestricted free agent
- Michael Carter-Williams – Unrestricted free agent
- Joffrey Lauvergne – MLE (Mid-level exception)
- Cristiano Felicio – Restricted free agent
What would I want to do with this free agency crop of guys? Well, let’s address the free agents that aren’t restricted. Carter-Williams can go. We’ve seen enough. He’s … not good. Joffrey Lauvergne can go. With Portis in front of him, there’s really no need for him. Anthony Morrow is supposed to be a knock-down, spot-up shooter, but he shot 30.8 percent last season from deep. To be fair, his 3-point percentage last season was 42.5 percent for six different teams, so he can stay at the end of the bench. Why not?
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We’ve already addressed Rondo. Bye. I’d preferably like Wade to go ring-chase elsewhere, but the decision is his with the player option. I guess the move would be to convince to go chase one more title.
Also, I’d bring back fan favorite Cristiano Felicio. Sure. He can be Lopez’s more agile backup at the 5 if we want to play a little bigger. He’s got some potential as a roller off screens and helping off the weakside defensively and in the paint. Let’s try and keep him.
So, MCW, Canaan (via being waived) Lauvergne and Rondo are for sure gone. Wade’s a question mark (pending on the scenario). We want to bring Felicio back. That just leaves Mirotic.
I’d like to keep Mirotic in either scenario, but is he really worth keeping. Despite his potential and age, is he worth matching offer sheets for? Personally, I keep telling myself that he is, but if he’s getting north of $15 million annually from another team, they can have him.
If Wade, Felicio and Mirotic all stay and Butler isn’t traded:
- Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Nikola Mirotic, Robin Lopez, Cristiano Felicio, Anthony Morrow, Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine, Paul Zipser, Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, Justin Jackson* and Tyler Dorsey*
That’s 13 guys with a max of 15 on a roster.
If Butler is traded, that means Wade is gone, but Mirotic and Felicio could stay:
- Nikola Mirotic, Robin Lopez, Cristiano Felicio, Anthony Morrow, Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine, Paul Zipser, Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, De’Aaron Fox*, OG Anunoby* and Josh Hart*
That’s 12 guys with a max of 15 on a roster.