Chicago Bulls: 3 biggest offseason questions for 2019
3. Will the Bulls be major players in free agency?
It was just a year ago when the Bulls decided to sign a hometown guy to a two-year, $40 million deal (with a team option for the second year) during the offseason. That player was Jabari Parker, who has spent a good portion of his young career rehabbing multiple knee injuries.
Despite this fact, Chicago thought it was worthwhile to roll the dice on Parker. What was the result of this decision?
Well, although Parker had a few memorable moments during his time in a Bulls uniform, it became evident that the two sides were not a good fit and he was eventually dealt (along with Bobby Portis) to the Washington Wizards prior to this year’s trade deadline.
In exchange, the Bulls got Otto Porter Jr., who comes with a hefty price tag. He made $26 million this season and he will make $27.3 million next season. Furthermore, Porter has a $28.5 million player option for 2020-21, which he will more than likely pick up.
In case you didn’t know already, Otto Porter Jr. can ball.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 14, 2019
He not only recorded a double-double, but a career high in scoring with 37 points against the Grizzlies! pic.twitter.com/t9TrAdjYDL
This move reduced the team’s available cap space to approximately $19 million for the offseason. Obviously, this won’t be enough to obtain any top-tier free agents. At the same time, the Bulls need more perimeter shooting to say the least.
They finished 26th in the league in made 3-pointers per contest (9.3) and just 27th in attempts (25.8). Although the Bulls are not expected to go all in on any one player in free agency, they will need to continue filling out the roster with guys who can stretch the floor.