Chicago Bulls: Could Thomas Bryant be possible Nikola Vucevic replacement?

The Chicago Bulls’ late-season slip has many questioning their current roster construction and whether the Nikola Vucevic experiment has failed. 

The Chicago Bulls have let the top seed in the Eastern Conference slip away and are now fighting to avoid the play-in tournament. There are plenty of culprits when it comes to the why behind Chicago’s collapse, the biggest being their star players.

Injuries have clearly hampered the season, but the the lack of leadership from their stars and the overall lack of defensive production has killed the Bulls in the month of March. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine produce enough offensively for fans to turn the other cheek to their defense, but Nikola Vucevic isn’t getting buckets enough to be slacking as much as he has on defense.

Next season, Vucevic is set to earn $22 million in the final year of his contract. He’s currently not averaging $22 million numbers, scoring 17.9 points and grabbing 11.3 boards per game. It’s easy to say that Vucevic needs more time to gel with his role as the third option, but the Bulls expect to win now. They don’t have time for their big money guys to be a major part of the problem.

If the front office decides to make a move in the frontcourt, they may want to take a look at the Wizards big man Thomas Bryant. And they’ll get a good look at the big man on Tuesday night.

Could the Bulls target Thomas Bryant in free agency this summer?

Bryant is a younger, more physical option who takes pride in defending the paint. He isn’t a walking double-double, or even a guy you focus a play around, which actually fits what the Bulls need for their primary stars to thrive.

Chicago needs to find a big who can set screens, protect the paint, and finish from time to time.  Bryant is a player who can do all of that for much less money. He’s a 6-foot-10 bruiser who isn’t scared to lay wood on slashing guards and other bigs. A part of defending the paint is being physical. Vucevic doesn’t do that well and it shows in the Bulls’ poor interior defense.

The main hesitation on Bryant would be his availability — something Chicago already has issues with Vucevic. Throughout his career he has had injury issues that have limited him to less than 80 games over the last three seasons. For Chicago, they would have to keep Tristan Thompson or grab another big as insurance … which would still save money and potentially improve their situation.

https://twitter.com/NBCSWizards/status/1507538017807970304?s=20&t=c9NZxFUArPS19d07sjFAVQ

The biggest reason the Bulls should look into grabbing Bryant for Vucevic is the financial implications tied to the move. Getting Vucevic off their salary cap would give the team flexibility to get experienced vets. The Bulls lack a leader on the court. DeRozan and LaVine have shown that they are guys who can score with the best — value the Bulls can’t ignore — but the front office needs to find someone who can step in as the vocal leader.

That player (or twoO) is likely going to be available in the offseason for much less than what Vucevic is earning.

The Bulls’ matchup Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards will give Chicago’s front office the ability to have a close-up look at Bryant and his strengths. At the same time, this game, and the rest of the season, will be Vucevic’s opportunity to sell why he should stay past this offseason.