1. Jarred Vanderbilt
If you’ve been reading our articles, you’ll know that Jarred Vanderbilt has been the subject of our affections for quite some time now. I even advocated for the Bulls to target Vanderbilt in a potential Coby White trade package back in July.
Chicago seems to be acutely aware of their lack of rebounding, as seen by their attempt to address the issue by signing free agent Andre Drummond this summer. However, expecting Drummond to be the cure for all of the Bulls’ ailments feels foolish; moving to acquire a versatile forward like Vanderbilt could be the last piece of the puzzle on that end of the court.
Standing at 6’9″ with a ridiculous 7’1″ wingspan, Vando has the size of a power forward, the lateral agility and perimeter awareness of a small forward, and the rebounding ability of a center. His vertically-oriented game makes Vanderbilt one of the most interesting role players that could potentially be had on the trade market.
Only making $4.3 million this year with only a paltry $300,000 guaranteed for next season, Vanderbilt is not only the least cost-prohibitive asset that could be had from Utah’s roster, but also the most team-friendly.
Vanderbilt would not only become the first true backup power forward on the Chicago Bulls, but he’d also be the only player who is talented enough and fits well enough to challenge Williams for his starting role. Although Williams is viewed as the future of this team, lighting a fire under Pat and encouraging him to work harder for his role doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. It’s for this reason that my belief remains that Jarred Vanderbilt is the one player the Bulls need to call Utah about to enquire about his availability.