Entering the 2023 NBA offseason, the Chicago Bulls had not a single draft pick to their name. No practical cap space to sign free agents. Zero significant trade assets at their disposal. More than half of last year’s roster was eligible for free agency. All signs pointed toward a potentially catastrophic few months for this franchise.
And yet… this summer has actually not been a complete disaster for the Bulls. The front office has had to get pinch pennies and get crafty here and there, but by all accounts, they’ve done far better than most people expected. Things aren’t over just yet, but I believe we’ve seen enough to do a comprehensive breakdown of whether or not the Bulls have gained ground on the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Taking into account the draft, trades, and all free agent signings made thus far this summer, let’s review and grade just how well the Chicago Bulls have fared during the 2023 NBA offseason.
Chicago Bulls Offseason Report Card: The NBA Draft
Bulls trade two future second-round picks for No. 35 overall
By sending their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks to get into the 2023 NBA Draft, the Bulls proved they’d done their due diligence to scout out talent even though they lacked a pick heading into the draft. Normally this is the type of win-now move that I would advise against as poor asset management, but considering No. 35 is likely to be better than the picks in ’26 and ’27, I think was an acceptable gamble and the front office did the best they could with practically no assets.
Bulls draft Julian Phillips with the 35th pick
With the 35th pick, the Bulls selected Julian Phillips, a freshman out of Tennessee. Profiled as a strong and versatile defender with limited offensive ability, I’m working under the assumption that Phillips was drafted as a cheap replacement for either Javonte Green or Derrick Jones Jr. Phillips signed a four-year, $8 million deal with a team option for the final season. I’m unsure if he’ll live up to the deal just yet, but I’m glad to see the front office learned from their mistakes with Ayo Dosunmu and locked the rookie up for the long haul.
Grade: C
Chicago Bulls Offseason Report Card: Contract extensions
Nikola Vucevic re-signs for three years, $60 million
At the time, I’ll admit it, I wasn’t very supportive of the decision to sign Vucevic to big money for several more years. At the time, it felt like the Bulls were simply bidding against themselves by signing him so far out ahead of free agency and in a market where no other teams needed a starting center. In retrospect, the money they gave Vucevic looks a lot better now after the hefty deals that were handed out, but there are still concerns regarding his long-term fit on this team.
Coby White re-signs for three years, $36 million
Unlike Vooch, from the moment Coby White signed this deal, I was thrilled about the value. I fully expected White to fetch somewhere in the range of $15 million per year, but at $12 million AAV (can get up to $13.33 million if he meets unlikely incentive goals), it’s hard not to love this signing. If Coby continues displaying the year-to-year development he’s already shown, he’ll be incredibly good value for the Bulls moving forward.
Ayo Dosunmu re-signs for three years, $21 million
This was another instance where it felt like the Bulls were bidding against themselves, but at the very least, signing Ayo Dosunmu to a three-year, $21 million deal is a bit more justifiable. Ayo appeared to have no suitors emerge at the price tag the Bulls were offering, so I can understand why many were critical of the value of this signing. However, if Chicago had retained Dosunmu on the one-year qualifying offer, it may have invited feelings of unrest and discontent between Ayo and the coaching staff if he doesn’t get heavy minutes this year in a loaded backcourt rotation. Granting him long-term security to allow time to develop may have been the Bulls’ best option in this scenario.
Andre Drummond opts into his $3.36 million player option
Andre Drummond opting into his player option was a very pleasant surprise, as he’ll once again be one of the best backup centers in the league next season on an extremely affordable deal. After Derrick Jones Jr. opted out I began to worry over Drummond’s fate, but I was relieved to see he wasn’t ready to leave the Windy City just yet. I would like to see DJJ and Javonte Green back in a Bulls uniform, but I’m glad the front office managed to successfully retain the four most important free agents from last year’s roster first and foremost.
Grade: B
Chicago Bulls Offseason Report Card: Free agency signings
Jevon Carter signs a three-year, $19.5 million deal (player option)
I promise I’m not trying to overreact here, but when I say I believe Jevon Carter may prove to be one of the best value signings of 2023’s free agency class, I mean it. As a very strong point-of-attack defender and excellent three-point shooting threat — both in spot-up situations and off the dribble — Carter addresses two of this team’s greatest needs at the point guard position. He’s not the playmaker Lonzo Ball was for this team, but at a $6.5 million AAV price tag, you can’t have it all. Phenomenal value here nonetheless.
Torrey Craig signs a two-year, $5.37 million deal (player option)
After signing Carter, I naturally assumed Chicago had expended all of its good free agency karma. Little did I know that Torrey Craig would inexplicably decide to sign with the Bulls on a veteran minimum contract, despite reportedly receiving attention from contending squads such as Golden State and Sacramento. I can only assume a clear path to minutes and a player option for the second season were enough to give the Bulls an edge here. At such a low cost, it’s hard to fault this signing in the slightest.
Bulls sign Adama Sanogo, Justin Lewis, and Onuralp Bitim to two-way deals
I’m still a little sad to see Javon Freeman-Liberty go when he looks to be more promising than any of these three players, but when it comes to this collection of prospects, I think the Bulls have fairly well. Adama Sanogo recently led Gonzaga to a national championship, Justin Lewis has the body of a prototypical two-way forward and was touted as the best undrafted player of 2021, and Onuralp Bitim has been tested against true professional talent and could be a great add if his shooting carries over to the NBA.
The Bulls haven’t signed a player with their 15th roster spot yet
Although the Bulls still have their bi-annual exception and newly-acquired disabled player exception from the Lonzo Ball dispute at their disposal, Chicago has yet to sign a 15th and final player to the roster. Several interesting free agents remain ripe for the picking, but the Bulls inexplicably seem determined to duck the luxury tax at all costs once again. Although the Carter and Craig signings were very solid, it’s clear that they won’t be enough to push Chicago into contention, so this unwillingness to spend has left me incredibly disappointed. That’s subject to change if they do pull off a big move, but until then, color me unsurprised Jerry Reinsdorf has prioritized profit over winning once again.
Grade: C-