Grading Bulls' Early Moves in NBA Free Agency
The Chicago Bulls are going for it.
That's the overarching theme behind the Bulls' early maneuvering during the 2023 NBA offseason.
Maybe it isn't clear what that "it" entails—it's more competitiveness than title contention—but clearly this club wants to play for something next season. On draft night, they made a move for Julian Phillips, whose defense, length and athleticism could help him find early minutes. In free agency, they've focused both on talent retention and targeted upgrades to improve the defense.
To get a temperature check on this team, let's break out the red pens and grade some of their most significant moves so far.
Jevon Carter
1 of 3
The Contract: Three years, $20 million
The Analysis: The Bulls needed a lift at point guard with Lonzo Ball shelved indefinitely, and Carter can provide it.
His presence will be most felt on the defensive end, which is absolutely fine for a club already running its offense through Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević. Carter ranks favorably among the Association's stingiest stoppers. This past season, he landed in the 88th percentile for defensive estimated plus-minus, per Dunks and Threes.
On offense, Carter will function similarly to how Patrick Beverley ran the position in this past season's second half. Carter isn't much of a playmaker (career-high 2.4 assists last season) or a major scoring threat (8.0 points, another career-high), but he is blossoming as an outside shooter. In 2022-23, he nailed a personal-best 142 triples at a 42.1 percent clip.
If his shooting sustains, Chicago can count on him for disruptive defense, ball control and catch-and-shoot efficiency. That'd be a good return on this investment.
The Grade: B-plus
Nikola Vučevic
2 of 3
The Contract: Three years, $60 million
The Analysis: OK, so technically this was an extension inked before free agency opened, but given the money spent and the role Vučević fills, it felt right to evaluate this instead of the Torrey Craig addition.
The pay rate for Vučević is...fine. It might be a tick above market value for a center who isn't a great outside shooter or rim protector, but he is very good at what he does. He scores in myriad ways, makes good decisions, cleans the glass and plays solid positional defense (when his athletic limitations don't get in the way).
Skilled players with his size (6'10", 260 lbs) are always helpful, and if the aim is to be as competitive as possible next season, keeping him was always a necessary part of the plan.
Saying all of that, the fit isn't (and hasn't been) great, since his scoring gets muted a bit by playing with LaVine and DeRozan. The direction is also uninspiring, as Chicago hasn't appeared as anything more than a play-in team since Ball went down. If Vučević signed this deal with a team that had a clearer vision and higher ceiling, the letter grade would improve.
The Grade: C-plus
Coby White
3 of 3
The Contract: Three years, $33 million
The Analysis: It perhaps speaks volumes about White's career that he never looked better than he did this past season—while he was handling a smaller role than ever.
Credit him for making subtle-but-important strides as a defender and decision-maker. If he keeps climbing the developmental ladder, he could turn this contract into a bargain.
For now, though, it reads more like a decent deal for both sides. It's possible White found his calling as an instant-impact reserve, and this is about market value for a score-first spark plug.
Still, the agreement gets docked a bit for the less-than-optimal fit. White's impact can only be felt so much in Chicago when the Bulls have bigger mouths to feed on offense. It makes some sense for them to invest in his future, but you can't help but wonder if their present roster construction could be holding him back.
The Grade: B-minus
