3 Chicago Bulls who definitely won’t be back next season
By Lior Lampert
After finishing with a 46-36 record last season, the Bulls were expecting to build off of that and take another step forward. Now they’re facing an offseason of change.
The Bulls followed up their impressive 2021-22 season by finishing with a 40-42 record, good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They gave the Heat a run for their money in the NBA Play-In Tournament for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, before falling short.
A disappointing end to a season that had fans feeling hopeful to start the year, changes are coming in Chicago. But, where do they go from here? Do the Bulls look to retool around their current core and run it back? Or do they start preparing for what could be a lengthy rebuilding process for the franchise?
These three Chicago Bulls definitely won’t be back next season:
3. Javonte Green
Javonte Green heads into this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Turning 30 in July, Green is coming off a season in which he suited up for just 32 games due to an injury to his right knee which required surgery.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Javonte Green has barely played since returning from the knee injury that forced him to miss more than two months of NBA action. He posted averages of 5.2 points per game to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists this season.
While he left much to be desired on the offensive end of the floor, Green made an impact on defense. In just 15 minutes per game, he accumulated a combined 1.5 steals/blocks per game. However, the Bulls’ bench was among the league’s worst in scoring (31.3 points per game).
With minimal offensive firepower behind the likes of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vučević, the Bulls need a scoring punch off the bench. The Bulls have depth at each of the two guard positions, the power forward, and the center position. They need to find a wing who can spell DeMar DeRozan, which does not bode well for Javonte Green.