Although the Chicago Bulls received a lot of flak for resting on their laurels during last year’s offseason and the two previous trade deadlines, they’ve been quick to strike here this summer. They’ve already executed one trade and four free agent signings, while also solidifying the center rotation with a key player opting in for next season.
If you’d like to know just what to make of these signings, I’ve already taken the liberty to grade each of the Bulls’ free agency signings at the end of day one. In case you missed anything, here’s a recap of what the Bulls have achieved thus far, and how it will affect their depth chart for next season.
Re-signed Players
- Andre Drummond, opted into $3.36 million player option
- Nikola Vucevic, agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract extension
- Coby White, agreed to a three-year, up to $40 million contract extension
- Ayo Dosunmu agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract extension
Undecided Bulls Free Agents
- Javonte Green
Now that the Bulls have shored up their point guard rotation, I expect Patrick Beverley to look for a new home next season. Ayo Dosunmu, on the other hand, will be interesting to follow as Chicago has submitted the qualifying offer and thus retain the right to match offers for the young guard from opposing teams.
Under the new CBA guidelines, teams can now roster up to three two-way contracts. With the newly-drafted Sanogo occupying one of those slots for the Bulls, I expect Justin Lewis and Terry Taylor to vie for the other two.
Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. are interesting cases to follow here, as the Bulls still lack an obvious primary reserve at both forward positions. Either one would receive a sizeable role if they opt to return, but I won’t be surprised to see them test their value on the open market either.
Following the 2023 NBA Draft and Free Agency periods, this is how the Chicago Bulls’ depth chart shakes out for the 2023-24 season.
Last updated July 3rd. Will provide updates as free agency progresses.
- PG: Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Carlik Jones, Lonzo Ball
- SG: Zach LaVine, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu
- SF: DeMar DeRozan, Dalen Terry
- PF: Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig, Julian Phillips
- C: Nikola Vucevic, Andre Drummond
As it currently stands, this is what we can expect the Chicago Bulls to look like next season. There are still certainly moves to be made and holes to be filled, so we’ll update this depth chart as we progress through the offseason.
New Additions
- Julian Phillips, drafted No. 35 overall
- Adama Sanogo, signed as an undrafted free agent (two-way)
- Jevon Carter, signed a three-year, $20 million deal
- Torrey Craig, signed a two-year deal, player option for year two
The Bulls were wise to jump back into the draft to select Phillips in the early second round, particularly due to the fact their forward rotation will look significantly thinner if Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green bolt for greener pastures in free agency. Although Phillips and Dalen Terry are each promising in their own regard, I’d hope the Bulls have plans to add more depth at the wing on day two of free agency and beyond.
I’d keep an eye on Jevon Carter this season, as he could prove to be one of the greater steals of this free agency class if given a sizeable role as he had in Milwaukee. As an excellent three-point threat and point-of-attack defender, he’s exactly what the Bulls have been looking for to complement their All-Star trio. Whether or not his playmaking is solid enough to justify becoming the full-time starting point guard, well, that remains to be seen.