Chicago Bulls: 3 must-sign 2020 free agent targets

That ultra-valuable wing depth that the Bulls so desperately need to add to the rotation right now could be found by looking no further than a trade target they had in mind seemingly around the 2020 deadline. At one point, there were talks about sending Young to the Clippers in exchange for the 6-foot-7 and 220 pound former St. John’s small forward Maurice Harkless.

But the Bulls never pulled the trigger on making any trade deadline moves this year. That was part of the reason for the mounting frustration with GarPax since the Bulls were falling back in the Eastern Conference standings and the front office wasn’t doing much to inspire confidence. The rebuild was starting to collapse on itself and no deadline moves were made to stem the tide.

However, signing a prospective free agent this coming offseason such as Harkless could provide new direction at one spot of the rotation for the Bulls. Not many teams in the East need to add reliable wing depth more than the Bulls. Between injury issues stemming to small forwards Chandler Hutchison and Otto Porter Jr. all season long, the Bulls are going to need help moving forward.

Harkless played in 62 games for the Knicks and Clippers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced hiatus. He averaged 5.8 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks, while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. His game started moving really in the wrong direction in a dozen games played with the Knicks after the trade deadline. But that might allow the Bulls to get him on an even more attractive bargain contract in free agency.