NBA free agency has slowed down, but the offseason is far from over, and the Chicago Bulls can still shop in the bargain bin for some roster depth and contributors. Delano Banton, Thomas Bryant, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Gary Payton II would all help fill some gaps.
The Bulls would need to create an open spot if they decide there's a more useful player available, as Chicago has a full 15-man roster. But someone like Jevon Carter, who picked up a $6.8 million player option for 2025-26, is surplus to requirements and could be stretched and waived for someone in this group.
Best remaining free agents and their fits with the Chicago Bulls
This bunch is still available on the open market and could be sneaky under-the-radar pickups for VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas.
Delano Banton
Banton is a physically gifted guard who can get buckets when given the opportunity. The 25-year-old is 6-foot-8, has solid handles and knows how to use his size getting to the rim. When he played nearly 30 minutes per game over 30 contests on a tanking Portland Trail Blazers team two seasons ago, he averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Between Boston, Toronto and the Blazers, though, he's never been able to carve out a significant role. He's a career 30.4 percent shooter from three and can be a bit of a black hole with the ball at times.
Still, Banton could give the Bulls a scoring punch off the bench and would fit well with their up-tempo transition offense. He just wrapped up a three-year, $4.5 million contract and is still on the market, so Chicago could likely land him at the veteran minimum.
Thomas Bryant
Bryant was a second-round pick in the 2017 draft and has bounced around the NBA, but is still in the league because he does two things well: stretches the floor at 6-foot-10 and plays with an extremely high motor.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old is a 35 percent career 3-point shooter and just had a "breakout" moment with the Indiana Pacers in last year's playoffs. Indy acquired him after season-ending injuries to James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, and Bryant appeared in 20 postseason games with the Pacers, playing double-digit minutes in half of them.
He scored 11 points and went 3-of-4 from deep in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, helping send Indiana to the NBA finals.
Gary Payton II
Payton II could replace Carter on Chicago's roster as a strong on-ball defender, which the Bulls currently don't have in their backcourt. The 32-year-old has played meaningful playoff minutes with the Golden State Warriors, and while he won't provide much of an offensive spark, he would fill a much-needed role for head coach Billy Donovan and would do it better than Carter.
Chris Boucher
Boucher has been listed as a center for most of his career, but at 6-foot-9 and a lanky 200 pounds, doesn't fit the bill. Still, he's a high-energy "big" who can space the floor and defend.
Last year with Toronto, Boucher played in 50 games and averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds with shooting splits of 49/36/78 in 17.2 minutes a night. The Bulls are all-in on versatile wings, and Boucher could be another, but he's a more intelligent, experienced defender than rookie Noa Essengue, even if he doesn't have the drool-worthy physical attributes.
Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa is an athletic, defensive-minded and undersized big who gets by on effort more than a fleshed-out skill set.
He's just 6-foot-8, but he's shown he can run the floor, rebound and block shots in limited playing time throughout his career. Achiuwa has career averages of 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game across five seasons.
The Bulls need more athletes and depth in the frontcourt, and the 25-year-old would provide both.