Bulls' Complete 2024 Offseason Blueprint
The Chicago Bulls are barreling toward a crossroads.
Again.
Much like last summer, when Nikola Vučević's free agency forced them to decide whether to recommit to this core or start the rebuilding process, the same two options are back on the table. This time, though, it's DeMar DeRozan playing the part of the veteran free agent.
Will Chicago continue pressing forward with what it has? Or will all of those external calls to tear down this team finally gain traction within this front office? Let's dig into everything that awaits the Bulls during the 2024 NBA offseason.
The Draft
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Barring a trade, the Bulls will only get one crack at the 2024 draft—their second-round pick belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers—but it should be a pretty good one.
They are currently slated to land the No. 11 pick, but there's a chance that will change during the draft lottery. More specifically, there's a two percent chance they land the No. 1 pick and a 9.4 percent chance they climb into the top four, per Tankathon.com.
Even if they stay where they're at, though, they should be able to get one of the better prospects in this class.
In the latest mock from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, the Bulls spent the No. 11 pick on Colorado swingman Cody Williams. He is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams and a player Wasserman likened to Minnesota Timberwolves three-and-D wing Jaden McDaniels. Williams averaged 11.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent overall and 41.5 percent from three this past season.
Free Agency
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The Bulls could have some money to spend in free agency, but if they do, they'll also have some roster holes to fill.
If Chicago bets big on continuity again, then financial flexibility isn't happening. Should the Bulls choose to bring back DeRozan (unrestricted free agent), Patrick Williams (restricted) and Andre Drummond (unrestricted), they could wind up in the luxury tax.
If they don't, they'd have a better chance of adding external talent. Then again, letting them walk might be a signal that this front office is prioritizing the future and therefore less incentivized to spend now.
If Chicago ducks the tax, it would have access to the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. If it doesn't, it would only have the $5 million taxpayer version.
Trade Market
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Maybe the Bulls' brass has a different read on this, but they probably aren't in position to pursue talent via trade.
There are serious question marks about this core's potential—Chicago has just one playoff trip and a single postseason victory to show for the three seasons since DeRozan's arrival—and should therefore be serious reservations about sacrificing future assets for any win-now intentions. The Bulls are already down a future first (2025, with top-10 protection) and four second-rounders, so if they're going to give up any draft assets, they better make sure they land a difference-maker.
More than likely, though, Chicago's trade attention will be mostly (or fully) centered around finding a taker for Zach LaVine. The Bulls heavily shopped him ahead of the trade deadline and "will look to trade LaVine again this offseason," per NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson.
While LaVine has twice been selected as an All-Star, it's hard to imagine the league sees him as a positive asset given his ongoing injury issues and the staggering amount of money owed to him ($138 million over the next three seasons, per Spotrac). The question, then, might be Chicago's appetite for attaching sweeteners just to move on from LaVine.
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