Chicago Bulls: 3 ways to upgrade at the point guard position
How the Chicago Bulls can upgrade at point guard: The Lonzo Ball solution
This is clearly going to be the favorite option for most Bulls fans to fill the need at the point guard position. If there were a way to get head coach Billy Donovan a true starting point guard for the future in the way of the New Orleans Pelicans’ impending restricted free agent and fourth-year former UCLA Bruins floor general Lonzo Ball, that seems to be the best way to fill this need.
The problem with trying to get Lonzo in free agency, or via a sign-and-trade deal this offseason, is how much it could cost the Bulls in terms of draft/player assets and cap space. Ball might be able to command an annual salary on his next contract worth somewhere in the realm of $16-$20 million. With how much young two-way point guards like him are coveted in free agency in the modern-day, it doesn’t look like it will come easy for Karnisovas and the Bulls to sign him.
Watch out for other competing teams looking his way like the Pelicans, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, etc. There could be other suitors for Lonzo waiting in the wings too. It’s hard to know exactly how many suitors will be coming his way. But no matter what, the Bulls are going to have a dog fight on their hands if they want to nab him heading into next season.
Next. 3 Bulls set to get major pay raises this summer. dark
It feels like the ability of the Bulls to sign Ball this summer pretty much solely hinges on how valuable they feel he could be to their new starting unit heading into next season. If the Bulls do feel like there are other options out there that could suit them just as, or almost as good as, Lonzo would then it doesn’t make sense to get him at near max contract-level money.