The rumor mill has died down in recent weeks, as expected. The trade deadline came and went (not without a frenzy), and the postseason is now in sight. However, for a handful of teams, including the reshaped Chicago Bulls, the NBA Draft and free agency remain the more pressing matters.
Chicago's roster has been reshaped accordingly. The Bulls prioritized both roster and salary cap flexibility amid the trade deadline frenzy, where a league-high seven trades went down. Thus, going forward, the Bulls will be open for business.
With significant future salary cap space, the Bulls will be one of the league’s few major players in free agency. NBA insider Jake Fischer grouped Chicago with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets as teams with prominent spending power. This comes after the trade deadline, where teams like the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards opted to use their cap space to acquire talent midseason instead.
Cap flexibility positions the Bulls as major players
Unlike the Clippers, Lakers, and Nets, Fischer elaborated that the Bulls will be especially active in free agency, noting that Chicago is willing to take the plunge on restricted free agents. As for the other teams, Fischer identified Giannis Antetokounmpo as the primary trade target for the Lakers and Nets, while the Clippers appear more focused on rebuilding efforts and utilizing the draft.
Regarding positional priorities, Fischer noted the Bulls are focused on wings, with centers likely to follow. While bigs may ultimately sit atop Chicago’s wishlist, emphasizing wings makes sense given that the restricted free agent market is loaded with appealing forwards.
Tari Eason, Bennedict Mathurin, and Peyton Watson represent the cream of the restricted free agent wing crop. Eason is an ideal two-way wing who would complement Matas Buzelis well as a burlier forward with defensive grit. Mathurin is a high-level scorer who has yet to be fully unleashed, though in four games with the Clippers, he's averaged 22.3 points per contest. Watson is perhaps the least proven of the three, but he has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, the free agent center market consists of one particularly sought-after name: Utah’s Walker Kessler. The Jazz signaled their intent to compete sooner rather than later by acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline, which suggests a desire to retain Kessler. However, if he feels undervalued by a Utah offer, there’s a strong possibility he tests the market, in which Chicago could emerge as the highest bidder.
Aside from Kessler, a few unrestricted bigs would profile as ideal additions, though they are not foundational building blocks. Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III stand out. While both are vaunted interior defenders, each carries significant injury concerns.
Ultimately, Chicago’s calculated positioning for free agency has been a long time coming. The Bulls have maintained cap flexibility for over a year with this moment in mind. As the offseason draws nearer, attention will shift from preparation to execution and to the player they decide is worth the investment.