There are already certain tendencies for the Chicago Bulls fan base to look ahead to the looming free agent cycle that could be fruitful for first-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley this year.
Come next offseason, Karnisovas and the Bulls could take full advantage of a rejuvenated roster that could be more appealing to top targets in the next cycle of free agency.
An interesting wrinkle of Chicago’s deadline day antics is that with the acquisition of Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls have eaten up into most of their cap space for the summer of 2021. Couple this with them also dumping Otto Porter’s big $28 million contract in the process, and it feels like Vucevic is the Bulls big free agency signing, just arriving half a season early.
Chicago Bulls projected moves heading into the offseason
With that being said, however, there are ways in which Chicago can continue to bring in talent that can upgrade and address issues on this roster. And in a 2021 free agency class that could potentially include stars like Kawhi Leonard, DeMar DeRozan, Chris Paul, and more, the Bulls might be able to get involved in adding some to their roster.
Where could Karnisovas and the Bulls look to continue building up their roster in the right direction out of the projected free agent market, as it stands as of the afternoon of March 28? Here’s a look into three realistic options for the Bulls to look at early on for the next free agent cycle.