Chicago Bulls: 4 top free agents left heading into September

Chicago Bulls top remaining free agents in September: Jarred Vanderbilt

If the Bulls aren’t able to sign someone like Millsap, and Karnisovas and Eversley want a younger option to fill the need at the four, then another good free agent target out there is the former Minnesota Timberwolves and Nuggets power forward Jarred Vanderbilt. Given the upward trend in the efficiency of Vanderbilt’s game in the past two seasons, it’s hard to believe the Timberwolves didn’t want to at least re-sign him on a minimum deal.

Taking to the younger route to fill the need at the four, I’m personally a big fan of the idea of the Bulls signing someone like Vanderbilt or the former Milwaukee Bucks power forward DJ Wilson. Neither would be in a spot to play significant minutes for the Bulls at the four. Signing any of the likes of Patrick Patterson, Wilson, Vanderbilt, etc. would likely entail 15-20 minutes played per night.

Moreover, Vanderbilt is an improving younger power forward that would be a solid value signing this late in the offseason. He finished up last season with a career best number in box plus/minus (-0.6), player efficiency rating (16.2), and win shares per 48 minutes (.132).

Vanderbilt is a good rim protector (3.5 block percentage last season), pesky on-ball defender (2.7 steal percentage last season), and a solid rebounder. He averaged a dozen rebounds per 36 minutes and 11.6 last season.

The type of efficient production that Vanderbilt could bring to the table to the Bulls would be a nice buffer in this frontcourt unit. It would be a similar signing to what the Bulls are likely to get out of the former Oklahoma City Thunder center Tony Bradley. Vanderbilt isn’t going to be a great floor spacer for the Bulls or a transformative offensive talent, but he is improving at a high rate in areas of his game that he is already good (rebounding, rim protection, scoring near the rim, etc.).