2018 NBA free agency grades: Bulls give Antonio Blakeney a deal

As the Chicago Bulls continue to set their roster, it appears G League Rookie of the Year Antonio Blakeney will have a spot.

The Chicago Bulls are certainly focusing on scoring this offseason. First, they agreed to re-sign Zach LaVine to a four-year, $78 million pact by matching the Sacramento Kings’ offer. Next, they brought in the hometown kid, Jabari Parker to light it up from the wing.

Now, the Bulls are ready to sign G League Rookie of the Year, Antonio Blakeney, to a two-year minimum contract (worth $2.9 million overall). The news was first reported by the Chicago Tribune‘s K.C. Johnson.

Take note: The Bulls are trying to score a lot of points next season.

This deal is great for the young guard from LSU, once again showing that hard work can be rewarded. If they don’t already, fans will love his ability to get buckets in a hurry.

Last season, Blakeney split time between the Bulls and their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. A teammate of Ben Simmons at LSU, Blakeney dominated G League play, averaging 32 points and 6.7 rebounds per game en route to Rookie of the Year and Second Team honors.

The 21-year-old Florida native should add depth in the backcourt, filling both guard positions. As a rookie last season, Blakeney averaged 7.9 points per game on 37.1 percent shooting in 19 games for Chicago.

How Blakeney helps the Bulls in 2018-19

Blakeney can score, and he score in a hurry. He averaged 21 points a game this summer in Las Vegas playing alongside Wendell Carter, Jr. In reality though, if all goes according to plan for the Bulls next season, Blakeney probably won’t find regular minutes in Chicago.

Despite his penchant for scoring binges, I don’t expect Blakeney to be a regular rotation guy. I do think he will give the Bulls useful minutes, particularly if Kris Dunn or Cameron Payne go down with injuries.

For some reason, the Bulls really like Payne as a backup point guard, so Blakeney will slide in behind him on the depth chart. Admittedly, I believe the Bulls could find a more capable backup to Dunn at point guard. I’m just not ready to anoint Blakeney as ready for that role just yet. Right now, he’s more suited for being that microwave, quick scorer role off the bench.

While the Bulls hope he can run the offense, Blakeney is going to be more useful as a spark plug off the bench. Most likely, he will spend time developing his game with the Windy City Bulls.

Blakeney should use this season to develop his game

Last season, Blakeney played on a two-way contract with the Bulls. He’s used to constantly having to prove his roster worth. This season won’t be any different, and he appears ready for the challenge.

The Summer League star who averaged 21.0 points per game in Las Vegas this year will have the desired security of a guaranteed multi-year contract. However, it’s still only a minimum deal. This season, Blakeney can utilize that security to work on his game.

While he can score in bunches, if he wants to play major minutes in the NBA, he will need to improve his outside shot. Last season, he averaged 37.1 percent shooting while only hitting on 28.8 percent of his looks from behind the 3-point line.

Blakeney is an intriguing prospect for the Bulls. He’s proof that the G League and the relatively new two-way contract can be useful for young players. Now that he has his first guaranteed deal, Blakeney gets to prove he belongs.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Grade: B-