Other free agents Bulls rumors should focus on instead of James Ennis: Ersan Ilyasova
Within the last few weeks, the idea of the Bulls going after the well-traveled veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova really grew on me. And this is one idea that I believe is still very viable for the Bulls. In 17 regular season games played for the Utah Jazz during the 2020-21 campaign, Ilyasova had some of his most efficient minutes in a limited role.
Last season, Ilyasova ranked in the top three on the team in steals per 36 minutes, around 2.5, and was a knockdown shooter from deep and the free-throw line once again. This new defensive presence is a change in narrative for Ilyasova, but he’s always been a reliable shooter playing at the four.
The Bulls definitely still have room for the veteran. Ilyasova would be a nice pairing for the Bulls that would bring a different skill set to the table compared to someone like Alize. Those two could split some key minutes off the bench playing at the four. That is also something that could help Alize expand his offensive game over the long haul.
One of the main knocks on Alize is the fact that he doesn’t often live far from the rim. And given that he’s played a good amount of minutes at the three in the past three seasons, that knock is fair at times.
The 34-year-old 13-year veteran has now played for seven different teams in his career, two of which came in the Central Division (Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons). Ilyasova shot better than 43 percent from beyond the arc and hit on all of more than a dozen attempts from the charity stripe last season. He’s got a lot of value to bring for the Bulls heading into next season and a viable fit with the current roster.