Chicago Bulls: 4 free agent targets with mid-level exception

The mid-level and/or tax payer exception could be the source of the Chicago Bulls most notable free agent signing this offseason.

The way that the Chicago Bulls rounded out the 2019-20 regular season did not inspire confidence that the offseason ahead was going to be anything be maddening. But the Bulls ownership actually made a lot of moves to get this rebuild going in a positive direction heading into its fourth year.

Since the Bulls 2019-20 campaign ended in shortened fashion in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic back in mid-March, they’ve made a number of changes to shift the direction of the rebuild. The Bulls hired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley to replace the likes of John Paxson and Gar Forman.

And they also hired former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan to replace the now departed Jim Boylen. All of these moves, along with a nice bit of luck by landing the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, should help the Bulls improve their standing in the Eastern Conference dramatically heading into the 2020-21 season.

The Bulls finished up the 2019-20 season with a record of 22-43, good for 11th place in the standings in the East. Given the poor showing for the Bulls in the last few years, they parted ways with Boylen and still have a lot of work to do in this looming cycle of free agency and the NBA Draft.

Potentially the most important way that the Bulls could fill out the roster this offseason (beyond with their lottery draft pick) is with the mid-level and/or tax payer exception. The Bulls get the tax payer exception every other year, and the mid-level exception could also be used to nab a value signing off the free agent market.

Here’s a look at four potential targets for the Bulls with the mid-level or tax payer exception in free agency this offseason.