Does Cameron Bairstow Have a Future with the Chicago Bulls?

Rookie Cameron Bairstow could be a member of the Chicago Bulls for years to come. But then again, his Windy City tenure may wind up being short-lived.

The 6'9" New Mexico product was drafted by Chicago in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft (49th overall pick).

With frontcourt players like Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and fellow rookie Nikola Mirotic on the Bulls' roster, we knew Bairstow wouldn't receive much playing time during his first year. And so far, he hasn't surprised anyone by appearing in just 11 games this season. He's averaging 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds while playing 4.5 minutes a night.   

Bairstow did, however, start the November 25 contest against the Denver Nuggets (114-109 loss), as both Noah and Gibson sat out with injuries.

It was rather odd coach Tom Thibodeau chose him over Mirotic, who's currently a Rookie of the Year candidate. Perhaps Thibs just wanted to see if Bairstow could have a breakout game while playing increased minutes.  

That night, Bairstow contributed two points, two rebounds, an assist and a block in 18 minutes of action.

It has been, and will continue to be, a long season for the Australian power forward, as he sits on the end of the bench. Does he a have a future in Chicago or is he just the next Erik Murphy?

Who Is Erik Murphy?

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If you're not a die-hard Bulls fan, chances are you have no idea who Murphy is or forgot all about him. Like Bairstow, Murphy was drafted by the team 49th overall, but in 2013 instead of 2014.

And also like Bairstow, he was buried on the Bulls' depth chart, playing only 24 games as a rookie last season. The former Florida Gator logged 2.6 minutes per contest, putting up 0.3 points and 0.3 rebounds.

Chicago took a chance on Murphy due to his outside shooting ability. As a senior at Florida, he shot 45.3 percent from three-point territory, which is quite impressive for a 6'10" big man. 

But, of course, things just didn't work out with the Bulls. Waived by the team in April of last year, he was signed by the Utah Jazz and then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics prior to this season.

Although Murphy was associated with three other teams, he never logged a single NBA minute since leaving Chicago. He is now out of the Association, currently playing for the D-League's Austin Spurs.  

It wouldn't be shocking to see Bairstow out of the league within a few years. Most second-round picks don't go on to have long, successful careers. Yet, he possesses a high motor and makes hustle plays, which could help him become a solid role player down the road.  

The Talent Is There

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While Bairstow will never win any scoring titles, he can certainly put the ball in the hoop. As a senior at New Mexico, he averaged 20.4 points per game, consistently knocking down the mid-range jumper. Bleacher Report's Andres Montero wrote about his game back in August:  

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During his senior campaign, Bairstow's shot was drastically better, as he knocked down 43 percent of his jump shots inside the arc. He was also dominant in the paint, converting 69 percent of his attempts near the rim.

Bairstow displayed an array of post moves as well, from fadeaways to up-and-unders to being able to just bully his way inside and hit a short hook shot.

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Bairstow's scoring ability was also on display a little bit during the summer league. In a contest against the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 18 points and showed aggressiveness by attempting 13 free throws.

The Bulls signed Bairstow to a three-year deal last summer. Year 1 and half of Year 2 is guaranteed. More than likely, he'll play the "cheerleader" for the remainder of this season and next. Montero, though, believes he could make an impact in his third year:

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His future with the Bulls isn't exactly bleak, however. It may not be this upcoming campaign or even the following one, but there is a chance he can make an impact provided the Bulls don't trade or waive him.

Pau Gasol's deal is for two years with a player option for a third, and I assume he will exercise that option since it's worth $7.7 million. But he'll be 37 by then and likely playing considerably fewer minutes. This is where Bairstow could come in and spell Gasol for 10 or 15 minutes.

If Bairstow is patient and concentrates on improving his game, he could make some noise leading up to the 2016-17 season.

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Don't expect Bairstow to have much of a future with the Bulls. While the team did hand him a three-year contract, look for the youngster to be traded or waived at some point. There's just too many frontcourt players ahead of him on the depth chart.     

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of February 6.