There was a time when the Chicago Bulls were a defense-first franchise. No need to go back to the dynasty years of the 1990s. Even post-dynasty, the Bulls were an organization that prioritized defense.
Scott Skiles coached three top-10 NBA defenses from 2004 to 2007. Tom Thibodeau, for four of his five seasons as head coach of the Bulls, coached top-10 NBA defenses.
Since the Bulls' 2013-14 NBA season, in which Thibodeau coached the franchise to a second-ranked defensive rating, the Bulls have only posted two seasons across 12 years that resulted in the franchise finishing with a top-10 NBA defense.
- 2016-17 NBA season coached by Fred Hoiberg
- 2022-23 NBA season coached by Billy Donovan
Bulls lead front office executive Bryson Graham and head coach Tiago Splitter have a clear rebuild mission ahead of them, and it is to return the Chicago Bulls to the defensive identity that, frankly, is the connective tissue between all great, winning eras of Bulls basketball.
Building a great NBA defense is not a function of acquiring a single player, but rather consistent roster additions that strengthen the defensive identity of a roster.
An option the Bulls should strongly consider for acquiring a strong defensive additive player is to look no further than the familiar front office of the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a familiar hometown talent in Terrence Shannon Jr.
The NBA is taking notice of Shannon Jr.’s defense
Timberwolves credentialed media member Dane Moore reported on his podcast, the Dane Moore NBA Podcast, that NBA scouts point to Shannon Jr.’s off-ball perimeter defense as a benchmark for players to follow, especially in postseason scenarios.
Shannon Jr. catching the attention of NBA scouts for his defensive prowess is a credible proxy for judging the quality of his abilities as an NBA defender.
Analyzing NBA defense is frequently more a qualitative than a quantitative exercise. Steal and block counting stats alone won’t tell the story of why an NBA scout lauds Shannon Jr.'s screen navigation abilities.
This possession really woke the building up. Watch Terrence Shannon Jr. close the space against Devin Vassell and cut off his water. Then, switches onto Dylan Harper to force the heave.
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) May 9, 2026
Shannon is making himself felt on defense. pic.twitter.com/Hx2uEwLITg
Only game film will frame a complete story of what Terrence Shannon Jr. is capable of delivering in defensive possessions.
Acquiring Shannon Jr. is easy
The good news for the Bulls is they simply can absorb the remainder of Shannon Jr.’s rookie contract into their open 15th roster spot and $9.4 million room mid-level exception.
Logically, the Timberwolves probably aren’t straight-up salary dumping Shannon Jr., so whatever compensation the Timberwolves would seek outside of first-round draft picks, Caleb Wilson, and, to a lesser extent, Matas Buzelis would be fine.
Investing long-term in defense is what the Bulls should be prioritizing in the early stages of their rebuild.
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