Bulls Rumors: Evaluating Latest Buzz on Marcus Smart, Lance Stephenson and More
The Chicago Bulls have a lot of reasons to be excited about the future of their franchise already.
The front office has put together a collection of young talents in Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Bobby Portis and now Wendell Carter that could be a sneaky good core in the coming years. But the future of the team will still hinge on the moves made from here until the team is a contender again.
Some of those will be what they do as one of the few teams with financial flexibility this offseason. According to Spotrac, the Bulls will have close to $40 million in practical cap space this offseason, which puts them behind only the Lakers as the team with the most money to spend.
Luring big name free agents isn't a game Chicago can play yet, but there's still plenty that can be done with all that space. Here's a look at the latest buzz about what the organization will look to do.
Zach Lavine Will Be Allowed to Shop Around
At one point, it looked like Zach LaVine would be one of the centerpieces of the Bulls rebuild. The 22-year-old was one of the main pieces of the Jimmy Butler trade and was bought at a steep price by the team.
However, a season in which he only played 24 games due to a torn ACL and shot just 38.3 percent from the field apparently has the organization wavering on their support for the guard, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com:
There are two ways to look at this report: Either the Bulls are putting this information out because they want LaVine back on a cheaper deal or they are legitimately exploring other options. It could be a combination of both.
LaVine is a restricted free agent, so the Bulls have the capability to match any offer a team throws at him. That means Chicago could essentially be letting other teams let LaVine know what his market is and do the negotiations for them.
That could lead to a cheaper deal for him than the Bulls would have signed themselves. After all, there are fewer teams than usual that have meaningful cap space, and a team like the Lakers is looking to catch bigger fish than LaVine with their extra money.
On the other hand, the Bulls could legitimately be scared off of LaVine by his injury and inefficient performance this season, clearing the way for a new addition with the money they save by not matching an offer sheet.
Bulls Will be a Player in Marcus Smart Sweepstakes
Right now, the Bulls could be weighing the pros and cons of LaVine and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart.
Smart is a restricted free agent this offseason and there are a handful of teams vying for his services, according to Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports:
The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he scored 10.2 points and dished out 4.8 assists per game from the bench for a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Smart doesn't provide the flashy offensive production of LaVine. Even in scoring 10 points a game, Smart shot just 36.7 percent from the field. However, he does provide the versatility to play the point along with his duties as a two-guard and is a versatile perimeter defender.
Given his experience on a playoff team, he could bring an edge that this young team will need moving forward.
The Bulls are one of the teams that can make Smart an offer the Celtics will have a hard time matching. With so many young assets on Boston's roster, signing Smart to a big deal might hamstring them when they want to spend their dollars on keeping the bigger stars they have.
If the Bulls let LaVine walk, Smart is definitely an option to keep an eye on.
Lance Stephenson in Play
On the veteran side of things, Lance Stephenson could be in play. The man famous for blowing in LeBron James' ear had his team option declined by the Indiana Pacers, and there's reason to believe the Bulls are in the market, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times:
Stephenson has had an up-and-down NBA career, especially of late. From 2015-2017, he played on five different teams in two seasons. He did play all 82 games for the Pacers last season, though.
Stephenson may be erratic, but he is an experienced player who has been to the playoffs six times in his career. He's risen to the occasion in the playoffs, too, averaging double-digits in his four last appearances.
He'll turn 28 during the season, so while he's a veteran, he isn't that far removed from his prime.
With cash to spare and a need for players who can show the young guys what it takes to become a playoff team, Stephenson could be worth the risk for Chicago.
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
