Return or Burn: Javonte Green
Unfortunately, a myriad of injuries kept Javonte Green from reaching his full potential with the Bulls over the past year. When he did play, however, it was impossible to ignore his on-court impact. As Stacey King himself never missed an opportunity to shout, “There’s five Javontes out there!”. Already one of Chicago’s best perimeter defenders, the fact Green shot 37.1% from deep this season is reason enough to bring him back as a quality reserve wing.
Verdict: Return
Return or Burn: Patrick Beverley
You’ve had to have heard it a hundred times by now, but the fact that the Bulls went 14-9 in their final 23 games with Patrick Beverley on the roster simply cannot be ignored. How much credit Beverley himself deserves for this achievement, well, that’s another story. Inspired to focus solely on his own offense, we saw Zach LaVine play much better as an off-ball scoring threat. Chicago absolutely must bring a quality playmaker and defender aboard to run the point for next season, but I don’t think the soon-to-be 35-year-old Beverley will be the best option available this summer.
Verdict: Burn
Return or Burn: Carlik Jones
Signed to a full-time deal late in the season, Carlik Jones never failed to impress when his number was called this past season. He was without a doubt the best player on Chicago’s Summer League roster, outplaying both Simonovic and Ayo Dosunmu, and conveyed that momentum to be a serviceable third-string guard for the Bulls. We’ve seen plenty of end of the bench guards make an impact like Milwaukee’s Jevon Carter and Phoenix’s Cam Payne, so I can definitely see Carlik being given that chance next season. That being said, as of right now I expect him to be a casualty of cap space management.
Verdict: Burn