3 Chicago Bulls players who have earned contract extensions this season

In the midst of the Chicago Bulls‘ rise to prominence in the Eastern Conference, it’s difficult to ignore the sense of stability this franchise is currently experiencing for the first time in over half a decade. The Bulls have 11 players already on the payroll for next season. The team is winning basketball games. Fans seem to have put away their pitchforks and are trusting in the sweet embrace of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.

As strange as it is to say, more likely than not, this current iteration is the version of the Bulls we’ll be watching for the next two years. And don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing. This team is hungry for the success they’ve been denied for so long and has quickly developed a palpable sort of chemistry like few teams in the NBA truly have.

The acquisitions of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso have gone a long way towards stabilizing the franchise and getting the team back to their winning ways. But most importantly, they’ve provided a genuine reason for Zach LaVine to continue making the Bulls a part of his plans for the future.

The Chicago Bulls should look to retain these 3 players if they want to continue with their winning ways for years to come.

It’s unclear if Chicago has any moves up their sleeve regarding the impending trade deadline, but as it currently stands, the handful of players with expiring contracts — and the even bigger handful of COVID protocol replacement players — will be making their case on the court as to why they deserve a contract extension.

Following the decisions made to pick up Patrick Williams’ and Coby White’s team options in September and recently waive forward Alize Johnson, there are now 10 remaining players affiliated with the Chicago Bulls that do not have a guaranteed deal for next season.

I believe three players, in particular, have left a big impression and warrant a further look from the front office. Let’s take a look at who they are, why they deserve a big bag of cash, and just how much we can expect to be in that bag.