2. Otto Porter Jr., Small Forward
While there’s still a lot of value that former Washington Wizards small forward Otto Porter Jr. can bring to the table for the Bulls, his contract is just too price at this point in time. OPJ will be due around $28.5 million next year if he picks up his player option this coming offseason. And why would he not pick up that player option.
If OPJ were to opt out, there’s really no signs that another team would give him a salary even close to the extension that the Wizards handed to him more than two years ago. This season, OPJ is getting $27.25 million, which is already too much money given that he still is injury prone and played in just 14 games prior to the hiatus.
In those 14 games that Porter Jr. played in so far this season, he’s averaging 11.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals, while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.4 percent from the charity stripe. The field goal, three-point, and free-throw shooting percentages are all down for Porter Jr. compared to his career averages.
Moreover, the Bulls highest paid player on the books, by large margin, is OPJ. Shooting guard Zach LaVine ranks second on the team in annual base salary (around $19 million). And LaVine offers the Bulls a lot more value than OPJ does.
If the version of OPJ we catch next season is healthier and more efficient (more like he was when he first arrived in the Windy City last year), then he will come closer to matching the value of the contract he is getting.