Bulls lead front office executive Bryson Graham jumped out of his 2026 NBA offseason starting blocks at lightning speed to formally start his roster rebuild, with the additions of veteran center Nic Claxton and 2026 NBA Draft first round selections, North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson, and Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain.
Seven years into his NBA career, it’s highly unlikely that Claxton will instantly develop a credible three-point shot.
Wilson’s North Carolina shot attempts occurred primarily inside the arc as he finished his single NCAA men’s basketball season, averaging 15.7 field-goal attempts per game and only 1.4 three-point field goal attempts per game, according to Sports Reference. Swain didn’t fare much better, only averaging 1.5 three-point attempts across his entire three-season NCAA men’s basketball career.
Of the players still under contract from the Bulls’ 2025-26 NBA season, only guard Josh Giddey averaged at least 5.0 three-point field goals per game and converted 36% or better of their three-point shot attempts. With size back on the roster in Chicago, the Bulls’ shooting must quickly follow suit!
Reasonable off-season free-agent options for the Bulls' shooting needs
Let’s simulate the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft and move directly into 2026 NBA unrestricted free agency for known NBA shooting talent to plug the holes of the Bulls’ 2026-27 roster.
Would Graham return to a familiar face from his time with the Atlanta Hawks and sign nine-year veteran guard Luke Kenard? A prolific career three-point shooter, Kennard finished his post-2026 NBA trade deadline season with the Los Angeles Lakers after beginning the 2025-26 season with the Atlanta Hawks.
Kennard posted a robust 47.8% three-point field goal percentage for the entire 2025-26 NBA season, albeit on low volume (3.0 three-point attempts per game) according to Basketball Reference. During his three-season stint with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2022 to 2025, Kenard averaged 5.0 three-point attempts per game.
If not Kennard, then guard Tim Hardaway Jr. should get a Bulls roster spot to bomb threes. Hardaway Jr. has been a long-range marksman for his entire 13-year NBA career, shooting 36.5% on 6.3 career three-point attempts per game.
Finally, if Kennard or Hardaway Jr. prove to be ungettable by the Bulls, then a good free agent alternative the Bulls should consider to fill their shooting needs is guard Quentin Grimes.
Unlike Kennard and Hardaway Jr., Grimes is under the age of 30 and has converted a serviceable career, 36.6% on 5.1 three-point attempts per game.
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