Chicago Bulls: Tyler Cook could be valuable in the two-way contract slot

A roster spot that was remaining for the Chicago Bulls to fill heading into the regular season was with one of the two-way contracts. The Bulls have one of the two-way contracts occupied by second-year point guard Devon Dotson. This is the second straight season that the Bulls’ front office elected to have Dotson in one of the two-way contract slots.

Yet, the other two-way contract slot would not wind up getting occupied by the same player as last season, shooting guard/wing Adam Mokoka. Still, a free agent heading into the season, Mokoka doesn’t look like he will be back with the Bulls during the 2021-22 campaign.

And the other two-way contract slot is now occupied by the former Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons forward Tyler Cook. A report from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski on his Twitter timeline over the weekend announced that the Bulls will be keeping Cook on the roster in a two-way contract slot heading into the regular season.

Tyler Cook gets to stick around with the Chicago Bulls on a two-way contract

Cook was brought on board with the Bulls on a non-guaranteed contract heading into Training Camp and the regular season. He was an intriguing signing for the Bulls after he played really well against this team as he was a two-way contract player with the Pistons late last season.

One of the best games of Cook’s career came in a Pistons’ May 9 loss to the Bulls last season. In that 12-point loss for the Pistons to the Bulls in that game, Cook registered 12 points, six rebounds, and one assist, on 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line.

That was good for one of the best game scores of the season last year for Cook. He also caught fire coming off the bench for the Pistons down the stretch last season.

The performance that Cook put on against second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls late last season looked to be something that really impressed this staff and front office. And the fact that the Bulls could use some added depth at forward heading into the regular season, it makes sense that the front office would lock Cook in the final two-way contract slot.

There were a few other options the Bulls had for the final two-way contract slot, but Cook was definitely among the best of them. A few of the other options included sharpshooting guard Matt Thomas, rookie combo guard Ethan Thompson, center Daniel Oturu, small forward Stanley Johnson, and forward Troy Baxter Jr. But pretty much all of those other non-guaranteed players look like they will be cut heading into the regular season.

Some could rejoin the Bulls with the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls, but that is a narrative that will be covered down the road.

For now, it is important to recognize that the Bulls need to offer Donovan and his staff as many resources as they possibly need to have a solid bench that can compete in the Eastern Conference this season. The Bulls had a better rotation last season than the one prior, but it still wasn’t good enough to get this team over the postseason hump when it was all said and done.

The Bulls are getting a potent rebounder, athletic finisher around the rim, and an improving on-ball defender in Cook. Although he’s not the biggest three-point threat, Cook can score from a few different areas. He will mostly live inside the arc, but that’s fine knowing what the Bulls expect out of him. Cook also excels in getting to the free-throw line after.

Cook is effective in drawing contact close to the rim and getting to the line. He’s got an impressive .374 free-throw attempt rate that he brings to the table for the Bulls for his career to date.

All in all, this looks to be a good addition for the Bulls officially in the last two-way contract slot. Cook brings a unique skill set to the table, and he should have a lot of confidence following a hot streak to round out last season.

The Bulls are going to still be pretty thin at the four on the bench this season. Alize Johnson should be the second unit power forward for the Bulls this season. But unless Donovan wants to play some small ball with either Troy Brown Jr. or Derrick Jones Jr. playing some minutes at the four, Johnson is the main player that the Bulls have to turn to at this position off the bench.

Cook does help to plug some of the potential depth issues the Bulls were facing if Johnson isn’t enough for this rotation playing minutes at the four.

The Bulls wrapped up the preseason on Oct. 15 with a win in the finale at home at the United Center over the Memphis Grizzlies. That allowed the Bulls to end the preseason with a spotless 4-0 record. The regular season slate tips off on Oct. 20 on the road against the Pistons.