A restricted free agent like Lauri Markkanen could very well be walking this offseason, but there are at least two veteran free agents that the Bulls would like to return. The next three weeks could prove if it’s worth returning to.
The Bulls now have just over three weeks and 13 regular-season games left to try and really sell the product.
Not just to the fan base – many of whom have likely made up their mind one way or the other – but to their own locker room.
The current payroll the front office is working with is just under $129 million. Next season, it drops to $96.3 million, as they shed some long-awaited payroll. Yes, that means finally getting out from under a Cristiano Felicio deal gone very wrong since the day the old regime handed the reserve big man the four-year, $32-million deal after the 2017 season.
At the same time, that also means possibly losing some free agents that they actually covet and could have significant roles as this reboot continues.
Daniel Theis, who was making $5 million this season, has become one of the toughest players on the roster in the physicality department, and has even moved into the starting lineup. And despite some recent injury issues, Garrett Temple was a bargain at one year, $4.7 million.
Denzel Valentine has even raised his stock this season, going from Jim Boylen’s doghouse most of last year, to becoming a streaky shooter off the bench, giving coach Billy Donovan 17.6 minutes and seven points per game.
It will be Theis and Temple that are the two to watch, however.
The Bulls have publicly stated that they would like to have both of them back, with Donovan making his pitch for Theis last week.
“With free agency coming up and guys having the opportunity to make their own decisions, I understand that,’’ Donovan said. “But [Theis is] someone we really like a lot and feel like could be somebody that could be really good for us going forward.’’
What remains to be seen, however, is does Theis or a Temple feel that the Bulls are good for them?
That will tell a lot of how confident the locker room is about the pieces in place, and the plan the next few years.
The Bulls will have money to spend, especially if Lauri Markkanen gets a solid restricted free agent offer and the Bulls opt to not match it.
Markkanen picked a great year to have the market set a price on him, after teams were prepping for what was supposed to be a historically great free agent class in 2021, only to see it dry up with most of the big names resigning with their current teams.
There’s money that has to be spent for young players like Markkanen and a Lonzo Ball, which means the possibility for some serious over-paying.
Meanwhile, the Bulls will be looking to keep two key defensive pieces in Theis and Temple, and if they opt to go elsewhere for equal or less money, message sent.
Waiting game
The injured left ankle for Troy Brown Jr. was still not good enough for him to go on Thursday against Charlotte, but the hope was the wing player would be back at some point on the upcoming road trip.
The Bulls play two games in Miami starting on Saturday, and then play in New York on Wednesday.
Brown was becoming more valuable before the injury, adding minutes off the bench because of his stopper mentality.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/3nf95p6
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