Tearing it all down in the frontcourt for the Chicago Bulls could happen if Lauri and Wendell don’t plan out like GarPax hopes for. The Bulls don’t really have a backup option, literally, as the former Arkansas Razorbacks second round pick Daniel Gafford and the former Knicks center and free agent signing Luke Kornet aren’t long-term solutions.
This is where the Bulls could take advantage of the younger stars that will be in the midst of their prime years in this 2021 free agent class. That all starts with the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Utah Jazz star center Rudy Gobert. Building up a new frontcourt would be fantastic for the Bulls Gobert were involved.
Gobert will be making a little over $25 million for the next two years in the final season of the four-year contract he signed back in 2017. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent by the time the 2021 offseason rolls around. Coming off a 2018-19 campaign where he registered a player efficiency rating of 24.6 to go along with 15.9 points per game, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks, it could only go up from here for him.
The ceiling for Gobert is still unknown, but even his levels of production now are a good foundation to formulate a frontcourt around. He’s by no means the top talent that is likely to hit the free agent market in two summers, but he’ll be on the rise until that time arrives.