Chicago Bulls: 3 unlikely candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

2. Cameron Payne

Cameron Payne became a member of the Bulls by way of a trade that sent Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to the Oklahoma City Thunder back in February 2017. Initially, this move could have easily been viewed as another front office blunder.

With the Bulls making a late-season push for the playoffs, Payne suited up for just 11 games and they were not overly impressive. During that stretch, he compiled averages of 4.9 points and 1.4 assists on 33.3 percent shooting and 32.4 percent from 3-point range.

More bad news was soon to come as Payne sustained a second foot injury that kept him sidelined until late February. He broke the same foot in 2015-16 when he was with the Thunder.

The good news is when the front office opted to let the younger players get more minutes down the stretch, Payne was one of the biggest beneficiaries of that decision.

In 25 games (including 14 starts), Payne averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 assists per contest. Not only that, but Payne shot 40.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

While there is room for improvement with the overall shooting numbers, Payne has proven that he can be a potential threat from distance. Now that he has earned the trust of the coaching staff, as well as a defined role as the team’s backup point guard, look for Payne to take the next step in 2018-19.