Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls free agency: The Bulls should sign Doug McDermott

By Luke Askew

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 8: Doug McDermott #20 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 8, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 8: Doug McDermott #20 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 8, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Chicago Bulls will have a ton of cap room this summer when free agency begins. They should consider bringing back Doug McDermott.

Despite drafting Chandler Hutchison with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls still need help on the wing.

The Dallas Mavericks recently withdrew their qualifying offer from Doug McDermott, making him an unrestricted free agent. Would it be a mistake for the Bulls to bring him back? Most of you will say yes, but maybe it’s not as obvious as it seems.

The Bulls have a ton (a ton) of cap space this summer. It’s likely that they will use some of that money to bring back Zach LaVine, but even after they resign him, they’ll still have plenty of cap space. This summer probably isn’t the year to go after a big-time free agent so maybe they should set their sights on a guy they know well, who they could likely pick up for a cheap, short-term deal.

That guy is none other than Dougie McBuckets, folks.

McDermott has his problems on the defensive end of the floor but his 6’8″ frame and beautiful shooting stroke make up for some of what he lacks on defense (he shot 49.4 percent from downtown on 3.0 attempts per game in the final 26 games of the 2017-18 season).

The Bulls made a mistake when they included him in the Taj Gibson/Cameron Payne deal with OKC. They should’ve never let him go. Maybe I’m alone in this camp, but I’m all in on the “NBA teams haven’t used McDermott correctly” bandwagon.

Okay, fine. I might be the only passenger on that bandwagon.

But the guy has serious offensive abilities that go beyond just spotting up and hitting threes. I mean, in his final year at Creighton he averaged 26.7 points per game on over 52 percent shooting from the field. The guy can flat out score – not just shoot from deep.

He also has a good relationship with Fred Hoiberg.

It’s important to note when talking about signing Doug McDermott that I by no means would want to spend a lot of money on a player of his caliber. But big-time free agents aren’t the only ones worth talking about. Sometimes it’s the players that contribute 10-15 minutes per game that can end up making a big difference in the end.

If Doug could play 15 minutes per game at the 2 or 3 (or even small-ball 4) and shoot 40+ percent from 3-point range, he would be an excellent piece for the Bulls going forward.

Next: 3 rookie goals for Chandler Hutchison

Let’s be clear – this probably won’t happen, but maybe Dougie McBuckets should come back to the Windy City and give it another try. I think the Bulls gave up on him too soon and no other team has given him the chance he needs to succeed.