Chicago Bulls: Shaquille Harrison still without a landing spot

Former Chicago Bulls combo guard Shaquille Harrison might have to be patient to find a landing spot in this cycle of free agency.

One of the better and more underrated free agents out there on the open market right now is the now former Chicago Bulls combo guard Shaquille Harrison. The two most proven and efficient impending free agent guards, among four in total, for the Bulls this offseason were Harrison and newly signed Atlanta Hawks defensive stopper point guard Kris Dunn.

Newly hired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley didn’t even so much as send a qualifying offer Dunn or Harrison’s way. The two impending free agent guards they had this offseason they did wind up re-signing are the former Michigan State Spartans 27-year-old 6-foot-4 shooting guard Denzel Valentine and to-be second-year shooting guard/wing Adam Mokoka.

However, while Dunn has found a home off of the free agent market, Harrison still has not. And you could argue, that for the price tag he’ll command in the free agent market, Harrison is actually a better value signing than Dunn.

The 27-year-old former Tulsa Golden Hurricane 6-foot-4 and 190 pound guard Harrison played in 43 games during the shortened 2019-20 regular season with the Bulls (10 of which he started in). And he averaged 4.9 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks. Harrison shot a solid 46.7 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.0 percent from the free-throw line.

That amounted to a team-high 2.8 box plus/minus rating, 0.6 value over replacement player rating, .153 win shares per 48 minutes, 55.9 true shooting percentage, and 17.8 player efficiency rating.

Both the advanced and per game stats for Harrison were really good and very much improved last season. It looked like he would be one of the better value free agent guards this offseason if the Bulls let him walk, and that’s exactly what happened.

There doesn’t look to be a developed free agent market yet for Harrison, but it should only be a matter of time before he finds another home. He was too good and too efficient down the stretch last season not to for the price tag he’ll command, or lack thereof.