1. Malik Newman, Guard
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a flier out on the former Mississippi State Bulldogs and Kansas Jayhawks volume scoring guard Malik Newman as an undrafted free agent. But he didn’t last with the Cavs any longer than one Vegas Summer League stint. He also had one stint in Vegas Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers last year.
The 22-year-old Newman should still be looking for an NBA home to prove that he can be a scoring spark plug off the bench. That landing spot could be with the Chicago Bulls since the rotation, or the G-League Windy City Bulls, could really use another player that just fits the mould of a bucket-getter.
When the Bulls parted ways with the former LSU Tigers shooting guard Antonio Blakeney, they lost their microwave scorer that could fill in spots off the bench. A short bench for Boylen and the Bulls usually entailed calling Blakeney up from the G-League. Maybe Newman could adapt his skill set better to an NBA system with the Bulls than Blakeney was able to.
Newman put up more than 12 points per game while shooting better than 46 percent from three-point range in Summer League in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas this year. Tap into that scoring potential and the Bulls could reap the rewards down the road. It’s worth the risk for that final two-way contract.