Chicago Bulls: Should They Sign Pacers Guard Rodney Stuckey?

The Chicago Bulls will have a number of things to look at when the free-agency period kicks off in just a few days. And while re-signing Jimmy Butler to a long-term deal tops the team’s priority list, there is another glaring need that the front office has yet to address.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

The need I’m referring to is a backup point guard. Although there hasn’t been much news on this front, one player the Bulls may want to consider to fill the position is Indiana Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey.

Yes, Aaron Brooks did play well for the Bulls this season. In fact, he averaged 11.6 points and 3.2 assists per game. In addition to that, he shot a reasonable 42 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc. It is also worth noting that Brooks’ numbers jumped up to 14.1 points and 4.4 assists per outing in the 21 games he played as a starter.

On the other side of the coin, however, Brooks was all but a non-factor during the team’s postseason run. In 12 games, Brooks’ averages included a pedestrian 4.5 points and 0.9 assists in 11 minutes per game. Furthermore, his shooting percentages plummeted to 34 percent overall and just 31 percent from three-point range. That being said, much like the players who held down the backup point guard position before him—Nate Robinson and D.J. Augustin, Brooks played well during the regular season, but struggled in the postseason against opposing teams with size in the backcourt.

This is where signing a player like Stuckey could make a difference. At 6’5”, not only would he be a matchup problem at the point guard position, he could also play the 2-guard spot role effectively as well.

And although Stuckey has spent most of his career at the point, he has played at the shooting guard position three of the last four seasons with both the Detroit Pistons and the Pacers. This is significant because it means that he could come off the bench and give the Bulls solid minutes behind either Derrick Rose or Butler.

What about the numbers, you ask?

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/29/2015.

Well, Stuckey averaged 12.6 points and 3.5 assists in 26 minutes per contest. This includes an overall conversion rate of 44 percent and a career-best 39 percent from distance. In other words, Stuckey brings size, along with the ability to score and distribute as well. And after watching the number of instances in which the Bulls struggled to score during the postseason, adding a player like Stuckey to the fold would alleviate that problem to a great extent.

One factor that could prevent this pairing from taking place is Chicago’s cap situation. With the team expected to sign Butler to a max deal, they can only offer the mini-midlevel exception. However, being that Stuckey has not participated in postseason play in six years, there is a good chance that he would welcome the opportunity to play on a championship-caliber team when everyone is healthy.

While there are a few other teams that will be interested in obtaining Stuckey’s services, including the Pacers, Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings, it is also being reported that Stuckey would be interested in hearing from the Bulls this summer. The question is, will Chicago be content with the current roster, or will the front office make an attempt to upgrade its bench unit?

Next: Chicago Bulls: 2015 NBA Draft Grade: Bobby Portis

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout