1) Chicago Bulls FA targets for frontcourt help
Ersan Ilyasova, Power Forward
If the Bulls wanted to look for a big man that is still available somehow on the free agent market that is a nice combination both of a floor spacer and a veteran that could come cheap for them, then the former Buck and power forward Ersan Ilyasova could be the right target. This Turkish 33-year-old 6-foot-9 and 235 pound big man spent most of his recent playing days in the NBA with the Bulls divisional foe Bucks.
He also started out his playing days in the NBA with the Bucks, totaling up to nine years total through the end of last season. He’s also played for a number of other teams in the league including the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
During the shortened 2019-20 regular season, Ilyasova played in 63 games for the Bucks (just eight of which he started in). He held a pretty significant role in the Bucks frontcourt rotation as recent as last season. And he averaged 6.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.3 blocks. Ilyasova shot an efficient 46.6 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Adding a big man like Ilyasova that could be a very versatile two-way forward to the Bulls frontcourt rotation would be a nice fit under Donovan’s direction. Ilyasova could also slot in nicely to the frontcourt rotation when other key bigs like Markkanen and WCJ are out due to injury. Last but not least, he could take up a lot of the minutes that the Bulls would be handing to center Luke Kornet otherwise.