Players that the Chicago Bulls shouldn’t let walk: Daniel Theis
A newly acquired Bulls player that has really come in handy for this team since the trade deadline is the former Celtics big man Theis. Now in his fourth full season in the NBA, the 6-foot-9 and 245 pound 29-year-old German Theis has found success in somewhat of a newfound role with the Bulls in the past few weeks.
Theis now looks to be a staple of the Bulls frontcourt rotation alongside Vooch. And it will be interesting to see what the Bulls front office decides to do this coming offseason with Theis set to become an unrestricted free agent. He is now in the final year of his current contract, which pays him around $5 million.
If there is a price tag anywhere similar to what Theis is at now that the Bulls could get him back on this offseason, then it is definitely worth keeping him around longer. Theis could be a solid part of the frontcourt rotation for a long time, given his versatile two-way ability that the team didn’t really have prior to the deadline.
In 17 games played with the Bulls since landing in Chicago at the deadline, Theis has averaged 9.7 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks. And he’s shot 54.3 percent from the field, 30.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Among all the Bulls big men set to hit free agency this coming offseason (i.e. power forward Lauri Markkanen, Theis, and Cristiano Felicio), Theis has to be considered the most likely to be back for next season.