3. Wendell Carter Jr., Center
Contract: $5.2 million
The former seventh overall pick of the Chicago Bulls from the 2018 NBA Draft out of the Duke Blue Devils basketball program, center Wendell Carter Jr., is looking to get that sought after breakthrough campaign in his second year. Carter Jr. only got to play half of his rookie season before he missed the latter portion to injury.
Yet, rookie scale contracts are great to have around for a while. During this rebuilding process for the Bulls, planning out the ladder for which they will have to pay their franchise cornerstones gives way to an anticipated bright future.
If something goes awry with any pieces of this young core, including Carter Jr., it doesn’t cost the Bulls all that much. And if Carter Jr. winds up fulfilling the promise he came with out of Duke, then he’ll get the contract extension he so deserves a couple years down the road. He’s still a while away from the contract extension conversation coming about.
Wendell Carter Jr. says Bulls "let this city down" after 22-60 record last season, vows to do better next year
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) July 26, 2019
(via @wendellcarter34) pic.twitter.com/QbIjmq2nfE
Carter Jr. was one of the more animated Bulls players throughout the offseason, including posting on social media that the team let the city down last season. Registering 22 wins and an all-time low in home wins in a season at the United Center definitely isn’t a great way to leave the fans to be fair.