1) Free agents for Karnisovas, Chicago Bulls to look beyond: Marc Gasol
Karnisovas and the Bulls really just aren’t in a position to spend a good amount of money on a veteran big man in this cycle of free agency that won’t fit well in the rotation and will clog up the cap sheet for later in the season. The Bulls do have a shot as an under-the-radar playoff contender, with an improved front office and coaching staff, heading into the 2020-21 season.
There’s a few moves that the front office can make, though, that would hurt the versatility and freedom that the Bulls would have on the cap sheet later in the 2020-21 season. That’s why Karnisovas and Eversley should let the likes of the Toronto Raptors 6-foot-11 and 255 pound center and the 35-year-old Marc Gasol go somewhere else this offseason.
While the former Memphis Grizzlies big man Gasol does have an impressive list of accolades, he’s best served on a contender elsewhere. He’s a three-time NBA All-Star selection, two-time All-NBA Team selection, one=time NBA Champion, and the 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year.
And during the shortened 2019-20 regular season, Gasol played in 44 games with the Raptors (all but one of which he started in).
Gasol averaged 7.5 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks. And he shot 42.7 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.5 percent from the free-throw line. Gasol is another veteran big man that brings a lot of valuable experience to the table and his expanding his offensive skill set to fit the modern game in a very positive sense.
The final year of Gasol’s contract paid him just south of $26 million. If he gets anything in eight figures this offseason, it’s not really worth the Bulls looking into him at all.