Why the Chicago Bulls should start Jalen Smith
Jalen Smith is a young and athletic rim runner that benefitted from the Indiana guard heavy offense. He was the beneficary of a team that was able to create off the bounce, whcih allowed him to have open looks or opportunities at the rim. His 3-point shoot has developed in his first four years, but still is not proven. He is distinctly different in about every way from Vucevic, which creates the question as to what the Bulls will do in this season.
Smith's offensive skillset does seem to fit well with the young Bulls and their desire to play at a quicker pace. Where Smith could be most useful is on the defensive end. The Bulls have lacked a rim protector during Donovan's tenure. I am not sure Smith will fill that need, but he's a more capable shot blocker than Vucevic.
Jalen Smith represents the direction the Bulls want to go. Vooch represents the past that the Bulls are trying to unattach from. The Bulls should prioritize moving on from the Vooch contract over LaVine because his contract is more movable and with the current roster construction Vooch appears not to fit stylistically.
The other issue is that the players offer two different styles that do not complement each other in a rotation scheme. If the Bulls were to play to both players strengths, then they will need to adapt based on who is in the game. They are not necessarily interchangeable.