3 must-have free agents for the Chicago Bulls this offseason
By Jakob Ashlin
The Chicago Bulls desperately need to upgrade their roster to get back into the playoff hunt. Here are three key free-agent targets to help them get there.
The Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads.
In 2021, they formed a new “Big 3” in DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. The All-Star trio enjoyed immediate success. In 2021-22, the Bulls posted a 46-36 record and made their first playoff appearance since 2017. However, they lost in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
Last season, they took a clear step back, finishing with a 40-42 record and missing the postseason. It is evident that the Bulls are a step behind the major contenders in the Eastern Conference, and they will need to be aggressive this offseason.
Many key players including Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Derrick Jones Jr. are set to hit free agency, and they currently have minus-$58 million in cap space, per Spotrac. The front office will need to have a creative and flawless offseason to launch the Bulls back into contention.
Let’s take a look at three ideal free-agent targets.
Must-have free agents for the Chicago Bulls: 3. PG Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith entered the league with high expectations. The Dallas Mavericks selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but he was traded less than two years later as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
After stints with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers, Smith quietly furthered his development last season with the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 4.8 assists per game while posting a career-low turnover percentage (14.1).
More importantly, he became a defensive force. Opponents scored 10.7 points fewer per 100 possessions with Smith on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. The 25-year-old point guard has always had elite athleticism and quickness, and those traits make him a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end.
Time to have a convo about Dennis Smith giving stars hell on the perimeter…
— NBA University (@NBA_University) December 10, 2022
99th percentile steals/75, 97th percentile deflections, recovers loose balls 77.8% (!!) of the time, 98th percentile D-RAPTOR, 95th percentile DBPM, killer rim defense.
DSJ is different this year pic.twitter.com/ytpjsB03hb
With Lonzo Ball out, the Bulls could use another playmaker and on-ball defender. Smith would fit the bill.