So many Bulls rumors were flying around this offseason pegged this team to so many different players that it was hard to always know how serious they really were. The Bulls were able to sign the likes of star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs and point guard Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Yet, one interesting connection emerged this week concerning the Bulls and the Utah Jazz veteran star point guard Mike Conley. According to a report from Sam Amick of The Athletic (paid content), the Bulls were one of a handful of teams interested in signing Conley during the offseason.
The other teams that were reportedly interested in pursuing Conley were the Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks. Three of these four teams had movement at the point guard position during the offseason.
The Bulls wound up bringing in Lonzo from the Pelicans in a notable sign-and-trade deal at the outset of the free agent negotiation window. And the Knicks pulled off a pretty surprising signing, at the time, in the former Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker.
The Pelicans would lose Lonzo and are now running with the former Hornet Devonte’ Graham as their starting point guard.
Bulls rumors connected this team to Mike Conley in the past
Conley would be an interesting addition for the Bulls, but it’s hard to fault the fit of Lonzo. And since the Jazz would re-sign Conley to a lucrative contract, the option for the Bulls to sign him went out the window pretty fast.
He signed a three-year contract during the offseason that will pay him just south of $70 million in total. Conley signed a similar deal to what Lonzo did with the Bulls. Granted, Lonzo is paid roughly $4-5 million in average annual value less than Conley on the contracts they signed during the offseason.
The Bulls are obviously getting a more long-term solution at the point guard position by signing the 24-year-old Lonzo than the 34-year-old Conley. Lonzo also is off to a good start this season with the Bulls, which is a good sign of things to come.
Lonzo and the Bulls currently sit on a record of 4-1 following a loss to the Knicks at home at the United Center by the final score of 104-103 on Oct. 28. And the Bulls, ironically enough, take on Conley at the Jazz at home on Oct. 30.