Bulls Rumors: Brandon Roy Is Superior Option to Kirk Hinrich for Chicago

A fork is in the road.

The Chicago Bulls’ two most likely options at shoot guard are Brandon Roy and Kirk Hinrich. When healthy, each player is a special talent—Roy as a scorer and Hinrich as a defender. Chi-Town's weakness isn’t defense, though, and that’s why signing Roy is the obvious choice.

Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald reported that Hinrich could return to the club that drafted him.

"

This isn't exactly new news, but hearing that Kirk Hinrich is a high priority for Bulls. Makes sense, since he can play both guard spots.

— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHBulls) July 3, 2012"

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune also reported that Tom Thibodeau has had a phone conversation with Roy. Johnson also mentioned that Hinrich appeared to be the top target, but that would be a mistake.

While Hinrich is a top-notch defender at the two, Chicago already has a designated defender at the position in Ronnie Brewer. Sure, Hinrich is capable of playing point guard too, but he isn’t nearly as effective. C.J. Watson and the newly-acquired Marquis Teague are much more dangerous offensive threats. 

And that’s what the Bulls need the most: offense.

They finished first in the NBA in points allowed per game last season, but with no Derrick Rose to put the ball in the basket, their elite defense couldn’t even give them the edge over the Philadelphia 76ers. Forget defense—Chicago is desperate for a scoring spark and that’s what Roy, if healthy, would provide.

I wouldn’t expect him to drop his career average of 19.0 points per contest, but this is a guy that dropped 12.2 a game playing on eroding knees. After undergoing the revolutionary knee procedure that Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez have had done, he’s guaranteed to be healthier than when he retired.

And even if Roy could only score 12.2 points per game, that’s more than anyone on the Bulls bench scored last season and more than Hinrich has averaged since 2007.

Chicago has never had an easier decision.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels