2. DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers
Surprise, surprise! No small forward this time around. Instead, I’m looking at an option for the Bulls to make a rather sizable upgrade at the center position.
The problem here is that Chicago already has a ton of money tied up at center. Robin Lopez and Omer Asik are still on the books for 2018, and will count a combined $25.7 million against the cap. It’s going to cost about that (if not more) just to get DeAndre Jordan under contract this offseason.
So why spend too much money on yet another big man? Well, let’s see — it’s Jordan.
In case you didn’t know, he’s one of the NBA’s truly elite rebounders and rim protectors. While the Bulls don’t struggle too much in the rebounding department, they’re currently second-to-last in blocks per game (via NBA.com). Adding Jordan to the lineup would immediately upgrade Chicago’s defense tenfold.
It’s not going to be easy to lure Jordan away from the Dallas Mavericks, who figure to go all-in on the imposing big man. However, in a dream world, that doesn’t matter. The Bulls have the money to ink him to a deal, and possess enough young talent to make it worth his while. As much as I like the returning home storyline, a trip to the Windy City makes sense for Jordan.