The goal for the Chicago Bulls this season, obviously, is to see some major development from their young pieces. Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson present the most obvious storylines, but Dailyn Swain, Noa Essengue, and even Leonard Miller will be worth keeping a serious eye on as well.
But the focus of the season can't completely rest upon the young guys. For this campaign to be completely successful for Chicago, it's going to need to maximize its assets at the trade deadline in order to bring back future draft capital or more young players to add to its growing treasure trove. That's the primary reason that players like Norman Powell and Buddy Hield are on the team, and this campaign can only be considered a complete success if that value is realized.
The same goes for Jordan Hawkins, who the Bulls picked up after he was waived by the New Orleans Pelicans late this offseason—albeit in a different way.
Hawkins is looking for a chance to revive his career with a fresh start in Chicago. But unless the Bulls are able to move on from some of their backcourt pieces at the trade deadline, Hawkins may be left without the minutes he needs to accomplish that.
Jordan Hawkins is a solid swing for the Bulls, and he may easily be a late-season riser if things go according to plan
Hawkins certainly isn't the most promising young player on the Bulls roster. He struggled to stick in the rotation even on a sub-par Pelicans team, averaging just 5.1 points and shooting 36.6% from the field across 51 games last season. But adding him on a two-way contract after his exit from New Orleans was a no-brainer for the Bulls.
Even at 6'5", he still doesnt' necessarily have a chartable path to being a plus defender at the shooting guard spot. But if Chicago can get his clear perimeter-shooting skill set, which was on full display during his time at UConn, to translate to the NBA level, it could certainly have a long-term offensive contributor on its hands.
The problem for Hawkins is that his immediate prospects for playing time in Chicago aren't much better than they were in New Orleans. Hawkins was behind Micah Peavy and Bryce McGowens in the Pelicans' rotation for much of last season, and his preseason performance didn't create much reason to believe he'll be ahead of Dailyn Swain, Buddy Hield, or Isaac Okoro for minutes off the bench in Chicago.
That's ultimately what a two-way contract is for—so that the Bulls have the optionality to develop Hawkins in the G-League while providing him with opportunities with the NBA squad when opportunity strikes. But if Chicago is going to move on from pieces like Powell and Hield at the deadline, it could create a vacuum in the backcourt that would be perfect for Hawkins to fill in the later parts of the season.
We saw it last year with Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham—although both came to the team via trade and weren't existing pieces on the roster, they both found ways to contribute when the roster was realigned at the deadline. Hawkins, at this point in his career, simply needs a similar opportunity to prove he still has what it takes as an NBA shooter.
The Bulls can give him that shot, but it likely won't come until some moves are made on this roster.
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