The same names are often thrown around when it comes to possible free agents for the Chicago Bulls to sign this summer: Lonzo Ball, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, etc.
As good as those players are, almost every team with enough cap space could talk themselves into trying to get one of them to sign on the dotted line. It’s far from a certainty that they choose Chicago.
But beyond the top class of household names lies another layer of talent that Arturas Karnisovas and the front office can’t afford to ignore, even if the fans sometimes do.
You don’t always get your first option in free agency, so it becomes imperative to have other plans. These three players may not be the hottest names on the market but would make great fits in Chicago if the Bulls were to sign them.
Where to start with the Chicago Bulls in free agency?
Spencer Dinwiddie
With a player option of $12.3 million set for this offseason, it’s not a sure thing that point guard Spencer Dinwiddie will even be on the market this summer. However, all signs point to him opting out of his contract and hitting free agency.
In fact, he said so himself.
Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie: “Pretty concrete that I’m gonna opt out.” https://t.co/Q0d5231711 pic.twitter.com/kGN6ixrPZi
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) May 13, 2021
Dinwiddie missed most of the 2020-2021 NBA season, playing just three games before being sidelined with a partial ACL tear in December.
He offers all that you could want from a point guard on offense. Dinwiddie can handle the ball, score with ease from range or in the paint, and can run an offense with his exquisite playmaking.
In 2019-2020, Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points per game and 6.8 assists, finishing second in Value over Replacement Player (VORP) on a Playoff team.
If Dinwiddie is the same player he was prior to his injury, he would be the perfect fit to fill the Bulls’ void at starting point guard.