If you ask three Chicago Bulls fans off the street about their opinions on head coach Billy Donovan, you’ll almost certainly receive three wildly different responses. Despite his controversial status among the fandom — admit it, we always blame the coach first — Donovan has garnered quite a respected reputation around the league. If he can manage to leverage his status in free agency, it may actually help the Bulls bounce back as a better team next season.
Players like Steven Adams and Luguentz Dort would be interesting options in free agency, but they have already signed extensions with their respective teams. Another potentially great addition would be Victor Oladipo, but since he’s rehabilitating from a torn tendon in his knee and has a player option for next season, I don’t expect him to become available. With these players off the board, the Bulls will have to get creative to make the most of Donovan’s pre-existing relationships.
As much as I’d like to throw Taj Gibson on this list for old-time’s sake, let’s focus in on three players I believe could move the margins for the Bulls next season.
These three former Billy Donovan pupils just might join up with the Bulls in free agency.
3. Dennis Schröder
Dennis Schröder is a name that many fans are likely to have a strong opinion on, based on a history of me-first basketball and a long resume of playing on poor basketball teams. Before we cast too harsh of a judgment, however, I’ll ask you to approach this possibility with an open mind and consider the options at the Bulls’ disposal.
If a buyout player like Patrick Beverley could come in and immediately make a big impact for this Bulls team, just imagine what the player the Lakers chose over Beverley could accomplish here. Posting a 14-9 record with Beverley at point, Chicago played a much more balanced game on offense. Schröder, however, is a much more proven playmaker and just as good of a shooter.
Setting the bar with Beverley isn’t all that high though, I’ll admit. So let’s consider the fact that the Lakers repeatedly benched D’Angelo Russell in favor of Schröder in crunch time during these 2023 NBA Playoffs. They clearly had faith in his game, and considering the best years of Schröder’s career came under Billy Donovan, maybe we should too.
2. Hamidou Diallo
Not likely to wow anyone as a household name, most people probably know Hamidou Diallo from the memorable 2019 NBA Dunk Contest, where he dunked over Shaquille O’Neal and prevailed over New York’s Dennis Smith Jr. in front of his own fans at the Madison Square Garden to take the crown. While that achievement was certainly impressive, Diallo has still managed to make quite the career for himself while under the radar with the Pistons.
In two and a half seasons in Detroit, Diallo has averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game off the bench. What he lacks for in three-point shooting ability, he makes up for his ability to create turnovers, get out on the fast break, and slam the ball home for an easy two points. If the Bulls are truly committed to adding a playmaker at point guard this year, then that new acquisition would be thrilled to have a player like Diallo to throw lobs to.
Hamidou Diallo would be an excellent target for the Bulls if they retool the roster in free agency.
Now that Coby White, Javonte Green, and Derrick Jones Jr. (although he claims he intends to opt in) are each eligible to leave in free agency this summer, the Bulls may be faced with the possibility of losing three of their primary offensive contributors off the bench. For a team that already has the NBA’s seventh-worst points per game production from their second unit, this is an issue we can’t just ignore.
If even just one of these players bolts in free agency, there would be a wide open space for Diallo to come in and immediately contribute. With two dunk contest champions already on the roster, the Chicago Bulls would become must-watch television if they could add a third to their collection here.
1. Jerami Grant
I’ll admit it, this one is a swing for the fences here. After being paid $20.9 million this past season and excelling as a third option on offense, Jerami Grant did a lot to prove to the doubters that he can maintain a high level of production while not necessarily being ‘the guy’ like he was back in Detroit.
Grant averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting an outstanding 40.1% from deep (the first time he’s ever crossed the 40% threshold) this past season. When used properly on a team with outstanding spacing like the Trail Blazers, it should come as no surprise that Grant proved he can be an elite 3-and-D talent.
Back in 2021, Grant was a heavily rumored trade target for the Bulls. The only issue was that the alleged asking price was second-year forward Patrick Williams. Having not seen what Pat had to offer yet, I can fully understand why the front office was hesitant to make a deal. With the benefit of hindsight, however, we can see that Grant’s tenure with the Pistons was not a fluke and he is indeed a substantially better player than Williams at this moment in time.
The Bulls may get another chance at bringing Jerami Grant aboard this summer.
Whether or not the Bulls would have reached their ceiling and competed for a title with Grant on the roster instead is definitely difficult to say for certain, but they would have absolutely been a better team these past two years. Fortunately, they may get another chance this summer, as Grant is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
That being said, while adding Grant to the roster may no longer cost the developing Williams, it would still come with a heavy price tag. Jerami has no doubt played himself out of Chicago’s price range at this point, so this move would necessitate a sign-and-trade, much like how the Bulls acquired DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in 2021.
This could mean the Bulls flip an accomplished player like DeRozan or Vucevic to a contender, or may mean Chicago allocates some of their young talent and assets to another team. As I said earlier, it’s a stretch, but there aren’t many players out there on the market better than Jerami Grant. Having already played very well under Donovan in the past, we can’t rule it out until all is said and done.