Slept on free agents that would be great for Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls: Frank Ntilikina
Both Richardson and the New York Knicks’ impending restricted free agent point guard Frank Ntilikina are options this summer that I’ve tabbed before for the Bulls. But there is a more direct fit between the Bulls and someone like “Frankie Smokes”. It’s not only the starting point guard of the future that the Bulls need to find this summer.
There is a theme here of Donovan and the Bulls needing to upgrade defensively. And any poor defensive showings that the Bulls get from someone like second-year point guard Coby White or combo guard Tomas Satoransky can be spurned by adding a very capable perimeter defender like Ntilikina.
If head coach Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks don’t want to use a defensive stopper at point guard like the 6-foot-4 and 200-pound Ntilikina, then the Bulls should be able to take full advantage.
The Bulls might be able to sign Ntilikina off of the restricted free agent market for a minimum-level deal. The asking price is not likely to be all that high for Ntilikina, at least not from the Knicks’ point of view.
If the asking price for Frankie Smokes stays around the $4-$5 million mark annually, then this could be worth a look for a short-term deal for Karnisovas and the Bulls. The type of floor spacing that Donovan likes to keep on the outside would also benefit what Ntilkina showed us this season.
He shot nearly 48 percent from beyond the arc this season, and he’s also a capable mover of the basketball around the perimeter as he’s averaged five assists per 36 minutes for his career thus far.