A deal that Chicago Bulls fans waited essentially the entire month of August for arrived on the late morning of Aug. 27. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisvoas and general manager Marc Eversley dished out fourth-year power forward and restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen in a three-team sign-and-trade deal that got the team a return of a couple of draft picks and small forward Derrick Jones Jr.
Despite pulling off this three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers to land the return of Jones Jr. a future lottery-protected first-round draft pick and a future second-round draft pick, there are still some remaining needs for the Bulls. Jones can be a versatile fit that can play in a small ball lineup at the four, or as more of a traditional wing.
But the need for the Bulls at the power forward position behind whoever starts at the four next season (likely between Patrick Williams and DeMar DeRozan) still partly remains. And one name that the Bulls should still go after is starting to draw some interest from top contenders around the NBA.
Paul Millsap still a great free agent target for the Chicago Bulls to go after now
Four-time All-Star and 36-year-old former Denver Nuggets veteran power forward Paul Millsap is still available on the free agent market. Granted, it doesn’t feel like he will be for that much longer.
Millsap is a great option for the Bulls to solidify the need to find a backup power forward in about the best way possible. He would be a proven and reliable option at the four, who could also start on nights where it is advantageous in the matchups for head coach Billy Donovan.
Millsap isn’t producing at the same level he was in the prime years of his career, but he still brings a ton of value to the table for a team like the Bulls. Last season with the Nuggets, he averaged around nine points per game, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and 0.5 blocks. And he shot 47.6 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.4 percent from the free-throw line.
If the Bulls were to sign someone like Millsap, it would let the likes of newly signed center Tony Bradley and rookie big man Marko Simonovic focus solely on playing at the five. Bradley really only has the skill set to play at the center position, while Simonovic could slide over to the four if need be.
And with the way the Bulls’ rotation is looking at the moment, Simonovic and even Troy Brown Jr. might have to play some minutes at the four. Sign Millsap and the Bulls have a lot more ways to maximize the skill sets of players like Brown, Jones, and Simonovic.
Some other options available at the four for the Bulls at this point of the offseason in free agency include veteran power forward Patrick Patterson, Nicolo Melli, and DJ Wilson, among others. The Bulls do still have some decent options available for a low cost. But Millsap should be the first consideration.