Who the Chicago Bulls should’ve pursued instead of DeMar DeRozan: Paul Millsap
Before we get into why the Bulls should’ve pursued some other key players to add this offseason, let’s take a brief look at what the team gave up to get DeRozan from the Spurs in this sign-and-trade deal.
The Bulls sent a future first-round draft pick, second-round draft pick, and veteran forward Thaddeus Young to the Spurs for the return of DeRozan. And then the Bulls signed DeRozan down to a three-year contract worth a total of around $85 million (around $28 million in average annual value).
That is a lot for the Bulls to give up, especially considering what Karnisovas and Eversley already had to ship off in order to get star center Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic back at the trade deadline. So, if the Bulls could’ve avoid giving up some key draft capital by signing another unrestricted free agent, going after veteran power forward Paul Millsap made a lot of sense.
The Bulls had a need to add more depth to the frontcourt this summer. And that still remains true after dishing out Young. Maybe the Bulls could still try to pursue Millsap this summer after his contract with the Denver Nuggets ran out.
It currently seems like some of the possibilities out there for Millsap this summer includes a reunion with the Atlanta Hawks, returning to the Nuggets, or signing with another playoff contender like the Golden State Warriors.
But landing back with Karnisovas could look more appealing now to Millsap after the Bulls got such a roster upgrade early this week in free agency. He might not start out next season in the starting unit with the Bulls, but Millsap surely could be an important player in a sixth man role.