Chicago Bulls: Ivan Rabb is great low-risk option to sign in free agency

Who should the Chicago Bulls go after if they’re looking to shift around their two-way contract situation ahead of Jan. 15?

At this point of the regular season, it doesn’t appear that the Chicago Bulls have a very realistic shot at contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Hence, head coach Jim Boylen and the Bulls front office should be turning their attention for how to build for next season. Hopefully if the Bulls improve their roster again next offseason then they could make a legit run at a mid-to-low seed in the playoffs in the East in 2020-21.

Where do the Bulls go from here if they’re looking to take on low-risk options that could do nothing but build for next season?

A good first step could be taking on players that still have a lot of potential left that could be gem finds ahead of the 2020 free agent cycle. The example of a free agent the Bulls could go after right now is the former second round 2017 NBA Draft pick (No. 35 overall) of the Memphis Grizzlies, forward Ivan Rabb.

The 6-foot-10 and 220 pound former Cal Golden Bears big man was reportedly waived by the New York Knicks on Jan. 13. The Knicks previously had Rabb signed on a two-way contract. It looks like Rabb was waived by the Knicks to make room for them to sign the G-League standout Kenny Wooten to a two-way contract.

Rabb spent most of the season so far with the G-League Westchester Knicks. In 18 games played in the G-League this season, Rabb is averaging 13.1 points per game, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks. He is one of the few G-League players that looks like he could actually compete in the NBA by this point in the 2019-20 regular season.

His career 16.3 player efficiency rating in more than 80 games played with the Grizzlies in the NBA would indicate that Rabb can hang in the best basketball league in the world. His rebounding rate of around 17 percent in his NBA career along with an assist rate of 11.3 percent indicates that he has a lot of skills that other big men do not.

And at just 22-years-old, Rabb is still young enough that he could grow into a decent role on an NBA bench like the Bulls if he finds the right fit. There’s an opportunity for additional playing time with the Bulls at the moment since second-year center Wendell Carter Jr. is out with injury and rookie big man Daniel Gafford looks overwhelmed at times.

The Bulls currently sit with a record of 14-27 after their latest loss to the Boston Celtics, by the final score of 113-101 on Jan. 13. They have little reason not to take a risk to try and improve their bench over the long-term right now.