5 Playoff standouts the Bulls should target in 2023 free agency

2 of 3

Grant Williams, Chicago Bulls 2023 Free Agency Targets (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

4. Grant Williams, Boston Celtics

Per Marc Stein, Grant Williams is seeking a contract in the range of up to $20 million annually this offseason. I can’t fault him for being ambitious, but he may have to soon come to the realization that he won’t be getting that much, certainly not from the Celtics. With over $126 already tied up to the core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, and Al Horford, it looks like Williams is the odd man out here.

That hasn’t prevented him from being an essential contributor to the Celtics, however, as he rained in four triples on as many attempts in Game 3 against Atlanta. Not many power forwards are as dangerous of an outside threat as Williams, and in this league, shooting is worth its weight in gold. The Bulls should be willing to pony up and offer at least the full MLE for a player of Williams’ caliber this summer, regardless of whether or not he brings his asking price down.

The Bulls could look to successful playoff teams to find the shooting they lack.

3. Max Strus, Miami Heat

I doubt anyone here needs a reminder of Max Strus after he chipped in a ridiculous 31 points and helped Jimmy Butler not only advance to the NBA Playoffs, but also end the Chicago Bulls’ season in this year’s play-in tournament.

Chicago native and former product of the Bulls development system, I’ve always been disappointed in this team’s failure to Max Strus become the player he is now. If you thought Boston was in a bad state financially, however, the Miami Heat are in hell.

With over $161 million locked up on Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Victor Oladipo, Miami has already exceeded the luxury tax threshold on those six players. This means despite a breakout season for Strus, he will almost certainly hit free agency as a quality well-rounded role player.

In the last two years with the Heat bouncing back and forth from the bench to the starting lineup and back, Strus has averaged a very solid 11.1 points while shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc. If Coby White makes the presumed jump up to the starting lineup next season, Strus would be an excellent replacement off the bench.