3 perfect free agents to fill the Chicago Bulls final roster spot

In the short time since free agency began, the Chicago Bulls have made several moves to both keep some key players and add valuable role players. Assuming the Bulls work toward re-signing restricted free agent Ayo Dosunmu, they have 14 roster spots filled after the moves they’ve made so far this summer. What Chicago does with that 15th and final roster spot may drastically impact their 2023-24 season.

They kicked this offseason off by coming to an agreement with Nikola Vucevic for a contract extension through the next three years and for a total of $60 million. The 32-year-old will likely be receiving one of the last major contracts of his career with the Bulls, and it will be interesting to see how the offensive gameplan with Vooch will change.

Chicago followed this move up by bringing back Coby White on a three-year deal that is worth $33 million plus $7 million in potential incentives. This was an important signing for the Bulls, as White made some huge strides this season and has set his sights on the starting point guard position.

The last thing the Bulls have done so far with their existing players was regarding Lonzo Ball, as they applied for a Disabled Player Exception worth $10.2 million. Lonzo is not expected to play in the upcoming season, and this would allow the Bulls to trade for a player in the final year of their deal or sign a free agent to a one-year deal. This provides more flexibility to the team to gain more pieces and build around their core.

The Chicago Bulls have taken valuable steps to improve the team, but they could still improve by signing one of these three free agents.

Beyond this, the Chicago Bulls added two underrated free agents from contenders: Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig. Carter was the Bucks’ backup PG and proved himself to be an excellent 3-and-D player, shooting 42% from long range and being the hound on defense that he has been since his college days at West Virginia. The Illinois native will be a huge addition to the team, and potentially provide a fearsome defensive backcourt with first-team defender Alex Caruso. The Bulls doubled down on the 3-and-D theme with Torrey Craig, who has shown that he is an excellent defender at the PF position and has improved his three-point shot over time, making 39.5% of his threes on 3.2 attempts per game. These two additions should add some desperately needed shooting to the team, while keeping two-way players.

While the Bulls have made some important moves, they still can improve their team by picking up free agents that are still on the market. The Bulls still need some more size, as they have just two players in their expected rotation that are taller than 6-foot-7. They could still sign a tall power forward to complement Nikola Vucevic and allow Patrick Williams to play the SF more, and the Chicago Bulls should consider signing one of these three free agents.

3. Paul Reed

Paul Reed is a 24-year-old center who has shown flashes of being a solid player in his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. Reed was able to leapfrog Montrezl Harrell in the depth chart, but he was unable to truly make his mark on the team as he was playing behind the MVP of the league, Joel Embiid. In that short time, however, he has shown potential on both ends.

The sample size here is small, but in the 4 games that Reed started this season (regular season and playoffs), he averaged 11.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, recording a double-double in three of those four games. He was a monster on the boards in those games, recording 28 rebounds in the two playoff games he started, 12 of those on the offensive glass. Additionally, he has been an excellent defender, showing a tremendous ability to block shots and disrupt the passing lanes.

Reed showed out in the playoffs and is now going to command some under-the-radar interest for NBA teams looking for a strong paint presence as a backup big. The Bulls could definitely use a player like Paul Reed, as he would be able to offset some of Nikola Vucevic’s downfalls on the defensive end, and provide even more rotational flexibility as Reed can play both the power forward and center positions.

A contract offer would be interesting for the Bulls, as Reed is a restricted free agent, which means that the 76ers have the right to match any contract that another team offers. This means that if the Bulls make an offer, they still may not get Reed, which creates more uncertainty for the team than an unrestricted free agent pickup would. Despite this, Reed would be a very interesting play if the Bulls cannot sign these other two free agents.

2. Christian Wood

Christian Wood broke out in the 2019-20 season with the Detroit Pistons, where he was able to gain a starting role (which led to the Pistons’ decision to trade Andre Drummond), and finally carve out a more permanent spot in the league after hopping around teams and spending some time in the G League. In the 3 seasons since, Christian Wood has averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, showing his offensive prowess. The 6-foot-10 forward looked like a future star in Houston, but his time with the Dallas Mavericks was much less fruitful. Wood was projected to be a key player for the Mavs, but only averaged 25.9 minutes per game and started just 17 of his 67 games. He still averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 51.5/37.6/77.2 shooting splits.

Wood’s offensive presence is undisputable, as he has proven to be a versatile scorer and is excellent in the pick-and-roll, as he showed with Luka Doncic. However, there is a question about his defense. Wood was unable to get into the starting lineup effectively because of his poor defending, which is also likely the reason why he still has not been signed. Wood would be an interesting addition to the Chicago Bulls, as they have proven to be a really solid defensive team, as they had the 5th best defensive rating last season. This was propelled by defensive-oriented role players like Alex Caruso, Patrick Beverley, and Patrick Williams, who were able to make up for the lack of rim protections that the Bulls had with Nikola Vucevic at center. Because the Chicago Bulls have added some really solid defensive pieces in Carter and Craig as well, they could make the move to sacrifice some defending and add another scorer to the team. This could be necessary as the Bulls have struggled with some offensive inconsistencies, as they heavily rely on Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic to score the ball, and when their shots aren’t falling, the Bulls are doomed.

It was initially thought that Christian Wood would be an expensive free agent signing, going for around $25 million a year. However, his market seems to be diminishing and the Bulls could swoop in and sign him for cheap, potentially keeping the Chicago Bulls under the luxury tax. Christian Wood could be a solid stretch 4 with Chicago, but they may be giving up too much rim protection, combining Wood and Vucevic at the big man spots. If Chicago is able to get him for cheap, however, it would be worth considering a contract for the 27-year-old.

1. Mo Bamba

After being only sparingly used by the Los Angeles Lakers, Mo Bamba is now a free agent after his team did not guarantee his $10.3 million salary. Bamba came into the league with tremendous potential as the 6th overall pick in 2018, after an unbelievable freshman season with Texas, where he averaged 3.7 blocks per game. Bamba was projected to be a top rim protector in the NBA, but injuries have plagued his career, as he has played 63+ games just once in his first 5 seasons. This has led Bamba to likely go to his third NBA team, which is not how he would have hoped the beginning of his career would go.

Mo Bamba has previously expressed interest in playing for the Chicago Bulls, and they have emerged as a front-runner to sign the 7-footer. The Bulls should definitely take a chance on Bamba, as he is likely going to go for a cheap contract this offseason and provides athleticism, rim protection, and three-point shooting that the Chicago Bulls could definitely use. In Mo Bamba’s 2021-22 season, his largest body of work, he averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 25.7 minutes. He also did this on 48/38/78 shooting splits, which are very encouraging for the Bulls as he would be an efficient scorer who can stretch the floor, allowing Nikola Vucevic to play in the paint on offense.

Bamba would also be the perfect complement to Vucevic on the defensive end, as he has proven to be a really solid defender and rim protector. This is something that the Chicago Bulls have needed for several seasons, and Bamba would be able to bring this on a cheap contract. Bamba has a rare combination of shooting and rim protection that the team could tremendously benefit from.

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If the Chicago Bulls have the chance to sign Mo Bamba for cheap, they should definitely pursue that opportunity. While he does have risks associated with his health, he is a player that the Bulls should take a chance on. Because the Bulls have doubled down on Nikola Vucevic as their center, they need to sign a tall forward that complements him well. If Bamba lives up to his potential, he will be the exact big man that Chicago is looking for to propel them to contender status.