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Should the Chicago Bulls focus on the future of Klay Thompson?

By Luke Askew

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 08: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on April 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 08: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on April 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Many fans have made it known that they would like the Chicago Bulls to stay relatively dormant during the 2018 free agency madness. Should the Bulls be focused on getting Klay Thompson in 2019?

Despite the number of attractive free agents this summer, many people think the Chicago Bulls should hold off on spending money until 2019. I used to disagree with this idea but the more I think about it, the more I’m coming to terms with it.

The summer of 2019 will be crazy. The number of high-caliber free agents is off the charts. With that being said, I think Klay Thompson should be the one guy that the Bulls are locked into attracting.

There’s a lot that would have to go into this. Klay Thompson has had nothing but a culture of winning in his NBA career, so I would expect him to be looking for that again. I could definitely see the Warriors re-signing Klay Thompson, but there’s always the possibility that he wants to see what would happen to his individual career if he wasn’t the third option. I mean, he has to be curious… Could he be a 30 point per game scorer on a team with fewer superstars? I think he could be.

In order for the Chicago Bulls to even be players in the Klay Thompson free agency market, the young core of Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and whoever they end up drafting this year, need to prove that they have enough talent to win. They need to show Klay how much they need him and how much they could accomplish with him on their side.

If the Bulls draft a big man (Jaren Jackson Jr. or Mo Bamba, for example), then it would be interesting to see how the Bulls would go about playing with Klay. Would they keep LaVine in the starting lineup and have Thompson play the three? Klay has good size and length for a two-guard so I could see him sliding to the three in this scenario.

If the Bulls draft a wing (Michael Porter Jr. or Mikal Bridges, for example), then I think it becomes obvious: Klay Thompson would start at his natural position and LaVine would come off the bench and fill that sixth-man role as a pure scorer, similar to Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford.

While this might end up stifling the growth of Zach LaVine, getting a guy at Klay Thompson’s level would be worth it for the organization. He knows how to win, and he’s one of the best two-way players in the league.

Can you imagine the defensive pressure that Kris Dunn and Klay Thompson would put on opposing ball handlers? It would be absurd. Throw a rim-protector like Mo Bamba into that mix and you’d have one nasty defensive team.

Next: Did the Bulls make a mistake by trading Jimmy Butler?

The Chicago Bulls have the history and championship pedigree to be a destination spot for potential free agents. Maybe Klay Thompson feels like he could be the one to get the organization back to its old winning ways. I’d say throw a max offer at him, give him your best sales pitch, and see what happens. Players like Klay Thompson don’t come around too often.