2) Grading Chicago Bulls free agents
It really feels like the former Indiana Hoosiers big man Vonleh is older than 25. He will be 25 years old at the tip off of the 2020-21 regular season, even though he’s already played for six different NBA teams. Vonleh even had a stint with the Bulls during the 2017-18 regular season, also the first year of the rebuild.
Last season, Vonleh split his time between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Between his time with the Timberwolves and Nuggets last season, Vonleh played in 36 games (just one of which he started in). And he averaged 3.7 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks. Vonleh shot 56.5 percent from the field, 20.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line.
When Vonleh played in 21 games for the Bulls during the 2017-18 regular season (starting in four of them), he was pretty efficient albeit in a limited role. He averaged 6.9 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks.
The career efficiency numbers from Vonleh paint a confusing picture. He’s registered a career -2.4 box plus/minus rating, -0.5 value over replacement player rating, .079 win shares per 48 minutes, 9.3 total win shares, 52.7 true shooting percentage, and 12.0 player efficiency rating. Vonleh is a good rebounder and solid on-ball defender down low, though.
This mostly seems like a solid value signing since Vonleh won’t cost the Bulls all that much and he’s well traveled. There’s not much reliable frontcourt depth that can stay healthy on a regular basis on the current Bulls roster. That makes this signing a pretty good one all things considered.