In the face of superstar Zach LaVine’s impending free agency, the Chicago Bulls are tasked with the job of acquiring the help necessary to make a respectable playoff push. While other Eastern Conference teams like the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have done a respectable job in their rebuilding phase, the Bulls have been left a step behind. This is why it is crucial for Chicago to make the most of every dollar they spend this summer.
On paper, the Bulls have the core to accomplish just that. LaVine is coming off the heels of an All-NBA caliber season, averaging 27.4 points per contest on a hyper-efficient 63.4 true shooting percentage. Paired next to All-Star center Nikola Vucevic for a whole season, the pair could wreak havoc down low and from beyond the arc.
However, the concern at the forefront of most Bulls fan’s minds does not involve the star duo, but instead the role players that will surround them.
To understand how much cap space Chicago will have to spend in 2021 free agency, we must first look at their current contractual obligations. Only five players on the roster had their contracts guaranteed for 2021-22 entering this summer: Vucevic ($24 million), LaVine ($19.5 million), Patrick Williams ($7.4 million), Coby White ($5.8 million), and Troy Brown Jr. ($5.4 million).
Furthermore, Al-Farouq Aminu recently accepted his $10.2 million player option, and we can most likely expect to see Chicago fully guarantee Thaddeus Young’s $14.2 million deal, given how Young often looked like the Bulls’ second-best player for long stretches this season, in addition to how outspoken LaVine has been to have the veteran in the locker room.
This brings our total payroll up to $86.3 million. The only other players under contract with the Bulls next season are Tomas Satoransky ($10 million), and Ryan Arcidiacono ($3 million). Fortunately, Arcidiacono’s team option is non-guaranteed and he can be released for no cost to the team. Satoransky on the other hand has half of his contract guaranteed, which means even if he is cut, the Bulls are still on the hook for $5 million.
Just how much money can the Chicago Bulls spend to fill out their cap sheet this summer?
If the Bulls cut Arcidiacono but keep Satoransky, their payroll will amount to $96.3 million with $3.7 million in incomplete roster charges. If the Bulls release both players, they’ll owe $91.3 million before being charged $4.6 million due to five empty roster spots. Signing this year’s second-round pick to an affordable contract is the best route towards eliminating one of the empty roster charges while still adding a little depth to the end of the bench.
To recap, here’s how our projected cap room is looking so far:
- Vucevic – $24,000,000
- LaVine – $19,500,000
- Young – $14,190,000
- Aminu -$10,183,800
- Satoransky – $10,000,000
- Williams – $7,422,000
- White – $5,837,760
- Brown Jr. – $5,170,564
- Second-round draft pick ⁓ $1,000,000
With the salary cap max set at $112.4 million this summer, the Bulls are at best working with $16.5 million in cap room.
Keep in mind, that’s $16.5 million in cap space with only 8 players on the roster. If the Bulls keep Satoransky around, Chicago will have approximately $12.3 in cap room. This likely points to Chicago not making any big splashes in free agency, and instead of being forced to get crafty with their cap management.
This limited cap space also indicates that Lauri Markkanen — possessing a $20.2 million cap hold — is likely on his way out. Although the Bulls have the ability to not only exceed the salary max as well as match any offer for the Finnish power forward, doing so would result in a situation where the Bulls could not pursue other quality free agents.
All of this information suggests that Chicago will be aggressive in the sign-and-trade market. If there is a deal to be struck, it makes far more sense for the Bulls to sign-and-trade Markkanen instead of letting him leave for nothing. This move could also potentially send Satoransky or Aminu out, thus eliminating two birds with one stone and ensuring any space spent would be on players worthy of a starting position.
If the Bulls do intend to bring over European prospect Marko Simonovic, or perhaps look to retain Daniel Theis — who impressed in his short stint with the team — then finding a team interested in a Markkanen swap should be at the top of the team’s priorities.
Although a potential deal for Lonzo Ball stalled at the trade deadline, it’s hard to imagine Bulls’ president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas not picking back up on this trail. Either way, if the Bulls do not keep their lottery pick this year, it’s likely going to take a little more of that Karnisovas magic to find a way to improve this team externally this offseason.