Playing Keep or Cut with Each of the Chicago Bulls' 2015 NBA Free Agents

This summer, the Chicago Bulls will have a quartet of free agents to deal with in Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Aaron Brooks and Nazr Mohammed. Which of these players should stick around for at least another year, and who should pack their bags and head for the hills?

Kirk Hinrich can also become a free agent if he declines his player option for next season, which is worth around $2.9 million, per Spotrac. It's unlikely, though, that the 34-year-old opts out of his contract. Coming off the worst campaign of his career, Hinrich will not be offered more than the veteran's minimum by any team out there. So it wouldn't make much sense to walk away from nearly $3 million.

The Bulls roster possesses a ton of quality players under contract, like Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. And now it's time to play the keep-or-cut game with the team's free agents.

Nazr Mohammed

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There won't be a major uproar in Chi-Town if the Bulls don't re-sign Mohammed. The 6'10" Chicago native isn't what you'd call an impact player. This past season, he played only 26 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per contest.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that Mohammed plans on returning to the NBA for his 18th season.

While he obviously isn't a key player on the court, Mohammed serves as a leader in the locker room. For example, his halftime message helped motivate the Bulls, which were outscored 33-8 during the second quarter, to come back and beat the Miami Heat on April 9.

"Naz stepped up and said this wasn't good enough," Brooks said, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell. "We're not playing playoff basketball and we have the talent. We just challenged each other to do better."

Mohammed may be a great motivator, but his Bulls stint is more than likely over. Chicago has a swarm of bigs already in Noah, Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic, Cameron Bairstow and rookie Bobby Portis. So there isn't any room left for Mohammed.

Verdict: Cut 

Aaron Brooks

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Every year, the Bulls sign a cheap backup point guard who emerges as a key rotation player. Guys like Nate Robinson and D.J. Augustin got the job done in the past, while Brooks followed suit this season.

Books didn't perform like a minimum-contract player, producing 11.6 points per game and shooting 38.7 percent from long range.

A reserve for the majority of the year, Brooks started 21 games at point guard, filling in for the injured Rose. He was at his best during the month of March, averaging 15.5 points and 4.7 assists in 15 starts.

More than likely, Brooks' solid play will make him too expensive for the Bulls to retain. Honestly, the team needs to find a backup point guard taller than the 6'0" Brooks who can contribute more on the defensive end of the floor.

Verdict: Cut

Mike Dunleavy Jr.

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Dunleavy isn't one of the Bulls' most famous players, but he's an important piece. The former Duke Blue Devils star is the perfect role player for a title contender. He can stretch the floor with his outside shooting, plays respectably on the defensive end and displays toughness at times.

This past year, Dunleavy started all 63 of his games, averaging 9.4 points and shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc. And he was red-hot during the playoffs, shooting 48.9 percent overall and 48.2 percent from three-point land.

Johnson points out that the Bulls will pay the luxury tax, which increases their chances of re-signing Dunleavy:

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The Bulls are prepared to enter luxury tax territory for just the second time in franchise history this season. That speaks not only to management's knowledge Butler will command a maximum contract—at a length likely of his choosing—but bodes well for the chance to re-sign Mike Dunleavy.

The veteran forward turned down more lucrative offers in 2013 to sign with the Bulls and has found a comfort level both personally and professionally here. But he will draw interest on the open market, and it sounds like the Bulls are willing to spend.

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By not bringing Dunleavy back, the Bulls would be left with the Tony Snell-Doug McDermott combo at small forward, which isn't ideal for a win-now team. Snell has been inconsistent thus far, and McDermott may not be ready to contribute yet.

Verdict: Keep

Jimmy Butler

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Chicago needs to part ways with Butler if it can pull off a sign-and-trade deal for either LeBron James or a 100 percent healthy Kevin Durant. Since we know that's not happening, the Bulls must re-sign Butler, no matter what it takes.

Unable to reach an extension agreement with the Bulls in October, the man they call "Jimmy Buckets" is the team's lone restricted free agent this offseason. The Bulls can match any offer he receives, and you better believe they will.

Considered just a role player not long ago, Butler has impressively stepped up and become the club's top player. He's coming off a season in which he led Chicago with a career-high 20 points a night. He also earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and took home Most Improved Player honors.

Fans know Butler as one of the game's best perimeter defenders, making him an elite two-way threat. And with his being only 25 years old as well, that's the type of player you want on your club for years to come.

Verdict: Keep

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com.