Re-signed Antonio Blakeney: 2 Years, $2.9 Million
Antonio Blakeney had a phenomenal season in the G League in 2017-2018 and earned a full NBA contract. However, his G League success simply did not translate to the next level. Blakeney did not see the court very often, however, he posted a 7.3 point-per-game average in 53 outings. The second-year guard from LSU seems to have no other care in the world aside from jacking up shots, which he does at a very inefficient rate.
With no defensive, passing, or rebounding ability, it is hard to imagine Blakeney having a real future as a Chicago Bull. The experiment was a good idea at the time, as he truly did play unbelievably well for the Windy City Bulls. However, Blakeney is not complete enough of an NBA player, nor does he show the will to play like one, and is unlikely to be in the team’s future plans.
Grade: C
Re-signed Ryan Arcidiacono: 1 Year, $1.3 Million
Ryan Arcidiacono was the other two-way player for the Bulls in 2017-2018, along with Antonio Blakeney. It would have been unfathomable to Bulls fans that Ryan would have a better 2018-2019 than Blakeney, but it wasn’t close.
Ryan shocked many Bulls fans, including myself, and had a spectacular sophomore season in which he averaged 6.7 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 24.2 minutes per game. His numbers don’t jump off of the page, but Arcidiacono made hustle and effort plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet. He served as a very solid backup point guard and even found himself as a starter in 32 outings.
Arcidiacono is more than likely not the backup point guard of the future, but he can most certainly be a third option at the position for years to come in Chicago. Expect Ryan to be brought back next season, possibly on a multiple-year deal.
Grade: B+