Amid the Bulls’ two headline-grabbing offseason trades and the heavily criticized re-signing of Patrick Williams, the team’s three-year, $27 million investment in Jalen Smith slipped largely under the radar.
Although it’s safe to say that signing Smith to a deal worth nearly $30 million wasn’t the soundest investment, it still paled in comparison to the Bulls’ other missteps—sending All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City for a then-flawed Josh Giddey, dumping six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan for essentially nothing, and handing $90 million to a player with a career scoring average under 10 points per game.
A risky move that didn’t inspire confidence
In his first season in the Windy City, Smith averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, which wasn't a drastic drop-off from his previous campaign with the Indiana Pacers. However, his efficiency took a notable hit, as his true shooting percentage fell from 68.2 to 58.6. The 6-foot-10 big man also connected on just 32.4 percent of his three-point attempts.
Lastly, following the midseason acquisition of Zach Collins, Smith lost his spot in Billy Donovan’s rotation. Collins was initially just a salary-matching piece in the Bulls’ trade of Zach LaVine, yet he proved far more valuable than Smith, posting the third-best net rating on the team.
Moreover, Collins made a particularly strong impact on defense, an area where the Bulls struggled last season. Conversely, Chicago’s defense worsened by nearly 4.0 points per 100 possessions when Smith was on the court.
The early returns on Smith’s contract were underwhelming, given his middling impact. The real issue, however, was that he was locked in for another two seasons, essentially making him a $9 million third-string center.
Then, things shifted during the preseason. Collins, who had been making a stellar impact—averaging 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in just 17.5 minutes per game—suffered a scaphoid fracture, thrusting Smith into a larger role heading into the regular season.
Year two growth turns Smith into a difference-maker
Smith’s first game of the season did nothing to quiet lingering concerns. He went 0-of-7 from the floor, scoring just two points against the Detroit Pistons. Things seemed to improve with a 16-point, 6-of-8 performance versus the Orlando Magic, but he failed to record a field goal in the very next game.
Since his scoreless outing against the Atlanta Hawks, Smith has averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers over his last six games. During this stretch, he’s been shooting an impressive 63.4 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from three-point range.
Most importantly, the Bulls have been nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better with the 25-year-old on the court. Chicago’s offense has seen an even bigger boost, gaining 13.3 points per 100 possessions whenever Smith is on the floor.
From a negative impact to the 72nd percentile league-wide in net rating, Smith’s rapid improvement in Donovan’s system has been remarkable. He’s no longer an overpaid end-of-bench player, but a key contributor for the Bulls.
Chicago clearly values Smith as a primary reserve and would likely be comfortable starting him if Nikola Vucevic were to miss time. While he doesn’t have Vucevic’s polished post game or passing ability, his floor spacing and defensive impact are nearly on par with Vooch’s.
The Bulls signed this player, who has proven reliable off the bench and isn’t much of a drop-off from Vucevic. While he didn’t have several seasons of strong statistics to back him up, Chicago clearly valued his youth and pedigree as a former 10th overall pick. Through nine games, the team’s once-questionable investment has already started to pay dividends in year two.