The Chicago Bulls roster is fairly set but things could change a year or two from now. How will they adjust if their superstar gamble doesn’t pay off?
Let’s take a trip down the rabbit hole with the Chicago Bulls, shall we? We are in that part of the off-season in the NBA where things are slow. The news turns from new signings to players re-signing dominating the headlines. But the Bulls are in an interesting position in the midst of all of this.
Some in NBA circles have them pegged as major players in free agency in 2021, also known as the Summer of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Others have them being not-so-surprise suitors to Anthony Davis when he hits the open market in the summer of 2020. Their roster and cap align naturally with the former line of thinking, but they have a realistic path to the latter as well.
Otto Porter (and his contract) will play a significant role regardless of which path the Bulls ultimately follow. It expires just in time for the aforementioned dalliance in ‘21, but the forward has a player option after this season. Now the likelihood of him turning down $28-plus million is about the same as him getting a deal just as lucrative next time: it ain’t happening.
But that’s no fun, is it? So let’s imagine Otto opts out next summer and the Bulls miss out on AD. Now they have a gaping hole in their lineup. And to be honest this situation could be similar in 2021, just swap Davis for Giannis.
So who could the Chicago Bulls swap for Porter? Let’s take a look at some wing players that could fit nicely in the event of an Otto exit coupled with superstar strikeouts.