Chicago Bulls Point Guard Fits: Honorable mentions
- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
- Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
- Derrick Rose, New York Knicks
- Goran Dragic, Miami Heat
- Elfrid Payton, New York Knicks
The Chicago Bulls are looking to compete right now as much as possible, which some players who missed the cut would certainly help to do. Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley are the best individual players on this entire list but don’t make the cut as best fits for the Bulls.
The primary reason for that is age and what they’re going to get money-wise in 2021 free agency. While they both could add the most to the team right away, it doesn’t work for Chicago due to how it would impact them long term. Simply put, they’re not worth investing that much money into because they wouldn’t improve the Bulls enough in the coming years. They’d limit the Bulls money moving forward while not bringing them high enough in the league’s hierarchy.
Former Bulls point guard Derrick Rose and Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat also miss the cut in part due to age. Unlike Lowry and Conley, though, they are also not strong fits for the roster anyway. Both are defensive liabilities that wouldn’t make sense to start ahead of Coby White.
Finally, Payton is the player here with the most reasonable argument to make for being a Bulls target, but it isn’t about his fit as much as the potential deal he will get in free agency. If the Bulls find themselves without an addition at point guard deep into free agency it wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring the current Knick in on a one-year deal at a fair salary.
It certainly doesn’t qualify as a good fit, though. The Bulls are looking to add players that help them and someone like Payton would be a flier for the team. It’s not ideal to take that flier on a player that has likely shown what he is in the NBA.