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Chicago Bulls: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By James D. Tillman III

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 18: Nikola Mirotic #44 of the Chicago Bulls takes a shot in front of the Bulls' bench during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 18, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 18: Nikola Mirotic #44 of the Chicago Bulls takes a shot in front of the Bulls' bench during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 18, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Photo by William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty Images
Photo by William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty Images /

Re-signing Cristiano Felicio

The story of Cristiano Felicio is an interesting one. Two years ago, he was far from being a household name when he was invited to play on the Bulls’ Summer League squad.

Since that time, though, Felicio has become a fixture among the second unit. During his rookie campaign, the Bulls big man averaged 3.4 and 3.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per outing. He improved on those numbers in 2016-17, posting averages of 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per contest.

It is also worth mentioning he is shooting a very efficient 57 percent from the field during his first two seasons with the Bulls. Following a somewhat impressive second season, the Bulls and Felicio reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth $32 million.

When the news of the deal broke, it would not have been unreasonable to think the Bulls were overpaying to retain one of their younger players, considering they signed Taj Gibson — a guy who thrived off the bench and in the starting lineup — to a similar deal a few years back.

What makes this move somewhat of a reasonable deal is the fact the Golden State Warriors signed Shaun Livingston to a three-year deal, with a price tag of $24 million. During the 2016-17 campaign Livingston averaged averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

While Livingston has a more versatile skill-set than Felicio and plays for a title contender, the production between the two players is comparable. Taking that into consideration, it is understandable why the Bulls moved quickly to lock him up for the next few seasons.

Grade: B

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