Just about an hour into free agency, the Chicago Bulls Front Office made their first big decision of free agency, signing Tre Jones to a 3-year, $24 million deal to return to the team's backcourt.
After being acquired via the three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings and Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs, Jones has found himself a second life in Chicago. In 18 games with the Bulls over the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season, Jones registered 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, becoming a valuable guard off the bench.
What does this mean for the Bulls?
Following this team-friendly deal for the Bulls, a few questions have arisen from Bulls fans as a result. Does this mean Coby White is traded? Is Ayo Dosunmu considered good as gone? What other moves do the Bulls have up their sleeve? The answers to these questions will reveal themselves in the next few days, possibly even the next few hours.
One thing is clear, however. The Bulls value what the 25-year-old can bring to the table. Jones's low turnover rate and ability to create a flow throughout the offense give the Bulls a level of stability in the backcourt that they have not had throughout the past few seasons. His presence on the perimeter allowed White and Josh Giddey to thrive, creating opportunities to score that haven't been there prior with Zach LaVine.
Additionally, signing Tre Jones to this team-friendly deal allows them to have some much-needed added flexibility, both on the floor and with their roster construction in the near future. Whether or not a trade involving White or Dosunmu is on the table remains to be proven, but at the very least, the Bulls' front office has been able to secure an extremely reliable point guard with the ability to make a huge impact off the bench.
Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have had a good start to the 2025 NBA offseason. Hopefully, the duo is able to continue this trend in the coming weeks, as the Bulls enter the 2025-26 campaign.