Remaining free agents for the Chicago Bulls to replace Lauri Markkanen: T.J. Leaf
A former first-round draft pick for the Bulls divisional foe Indiana Pacers from 2017, and ex-UCLA Bruins forward T.J. Leaf, is a potentially appealing free agent target if this team winds up being in a very cap-strapped position this summer. It could be a sign of what’s to come that Karnisovas and the Bulls started to fill out the bench with pieces like the former Oklahoma City Thunder center Tony Bradley.
The Bulls brought Bradley in on a one-year deal worth the minimum (around $3 million). And the Bulls could get someone like Leaf for just as cheap as Karnisovas signed Bradley for this week.
Leaf finished up last season playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. But he only played in seve games with the Blazers last season after signing a two-way contract in Portland. And that led to him only playing in seven minutes per game (35 minutes total) in a Blazers uniform.
That didn’t really give the Bulls enough to work off of to know where Leaf’s game is trending of late. But we do know that he had some untapped potential with the Pacers. Leaf is around a 50 percent shooter from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc for his four years in the NBA. And he’s averaged around 14 points per 36 minutes, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
If Leaf can be an effective floor spacer and rebounder for the Bulls, then that’s all this bench really needs out of him next season. Maybe a bonus could come for the Bulls in a sense that they could get a minimum-caliber player right now that turns into a solid value from here on out.
Leaf does do a lot of the things that the Bulls got out of Markkanen for the last four seasons. And Leaf had a track record of staying healthier than Markkanen.
This is really an option I would pitch for the Bulls if most others are exhausted and cap space is extremely limited for the remainder of the offseason.