3) Chicago Bulls free agent targets to watch in NBA Finals: Derrick Jones Jr.
A top need for the Bulls new front office regime in free agency this offseason is going to be adding wing depth to the rotation. The Bulls need to shore up the depth on the wing, and have for most of the last two seasons. If former Washington Wizards veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr. can’t stay healthy next season, and the Bulls don’t have an insurance policy behind him, they’ll struggle to complete the rotation.
There’s not much more that Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley can do to help out former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan in his early run with the Bulls to succeed during the 2020-21 season than helping round out a complete rotation in the starting five and second unit. It’s not enough for the Bulls to have just small forward Chandler Hutchison behind OPJ in the rotation.
A potential option to add some two-way wing depth and polarizing athleticism to the rotation at the three is with the reigning Slam Dunk Contest Champion and small forward Derrick Jones Jr. The 6-foot-6 and 210 pound former UNLV Rebels wing played in 59 regular season games with the Heat (starting in 16 of them).
He’s averaged 8.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Jones Jr. shot 52.7 percent from the field, 28.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 77.2 percent from the free-throw line. The outside shooting is certainly a concern for Jones Jr., but he his certainly a versatile wing, underrated defender, and smart when he does facilitate the offense (although that rarely happens).