Bulls' Early 2024 Free Agent Targets
The Chicago Bulls delayed their demise by winning their first play-in tournament game Wednesday night.
Their venture into the 2024 NBA offseason is coming soon, though, whether that's via Friday night's road-bout with the playoff-tested Miami Heat or, should they escape that contest, during a first-round matchup with the world-beating Boston Celtics.
The finish line is close enough that the front office is surely mapping out its summer strategies already, so why shouldn't we do the same? Here, we'll look ahead at their external options in free agency, which won't be earth-shattering—they're likely to land over the cap, especially if they re-sign both DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams—but could be helpful in filling out the supporting cast.
Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic (Unrestricted)
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For the past two seasons, the Bulls have had one of the Association's best backup bigs in Andre Drummond. He may have been too productive for them to keep, though, as he enters unrestricted free agency having posted per-36-minutes averages of 18.9 rebounds, 17.4 points and 3.1 combined steals and blocks, per Basketball-Reference.
If Drummond heads elsewhere, Chicago could tab Goga Bitadze as his replacement.
The 24-year-old quietly engineered his best season to date. With his breakout somewhat masked by his limited role within Orlando's crowded frontcourt, though, he might not see the kind of contract offers his play arguably warrants. And since he's mostly confined to contributing on the interior, he probably isn't the kind of big that really excites modern front offices.
Still, he's super reliable as a finisher (career-high 60.3 field-goal percentage) and as a rim protector (1.2 blocks in only 15.4 minutes), and he sees the game well enough to chip in as a passer, too.
Derrick Jones Jr., Dallas Mavericks (Unrestricted)
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Derrick Jones Jr. spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in the Windy City. While he ultimately skipped town to sign with the Mavericks last summer, he initially indicated a desire to extend his stay by picking up the player option he held with Chicago for this past season.
Maybe some fans are still miffed about his change of heart, but the fact he seemingly planned on staying shows he clearly enjoyed his tenure with the team.
The Bulls should see if he's up to start a new one. They've missed his athleticism and defensive prowess on the wings, and he even gave them an interesting change-of-pace wrinkle with some small-ball-center minutes.
Dallas will surely do what it can to keep him around—he's been a near-nightly starter for them and their best perimeter defender—but if he's open to exploring alternatives, Chicago should make a pitch.
Taurean Prince, Los Angeles Lakers (Unrestricted)
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The Bulls would help themselves by upping their three-point attack. They could use more perimeter stoppers, too, and that part will be triply true if Patrick Williams walks in restricted free agency.
Taurean Prince is one of the few potential bargain players who can help in both categories.
His skill set may not have a ton of layers, but he's an easy (and helpful) fit into the three-and-D archetype.
The 6'6", 218-pounder is a career 37.6 percent three-point shooter who can handle a variety of defensive assignments. He does the two things teams really want from a role-playing wing, but since he doesn't bring much else to the table, he could still wind up in free agency's clearance section.
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