Should Chicago Bulls Keep Aaron Brooks Beyond This Season?
Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks will become a free agent this summer. Should the team re-sign him or allow him to leave?
Brooks, who signed a one-year deal with the Bulls last offseason, is having a solid campaign. He's averaging 11.2 points and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field (40.3 percent from three-point range).
The former Oregon star was acquired to back up point guard Derrick Rose. But with Rose now sidelined with another meniscus injury, Brooks has moved into the starting five. As a starter the past nine contests, he's producing 14.7 points and 4.4 assists per game. He has reached the 20-point mark three times during that span, including 31 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on March 11.
Brooks was impressive in the March 3 victory over the Washington Wizards. Despite an 8-of-23 shooting night, he recorded 22 points and eight assists. That's not too shabby, especially going up against an elite floor general like John Wall.
"He had a tough matchup and he hit big shots for us," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said following the game (via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
Playing under Thibodeau's guidance, it's not surprising at all that Brooks has found success in the Windy City.
Chicago: Where Backup Point Guards Rejuvenate Their Careers
If you want to become a first-round draft pick, you play for Kentucky coach John Calipari. And if you're an NBA backup point guard who wants to become relevant again, take your talents to Chicago and play for Thibs.
Guys like C.J. Watson and John Lucas III made an impact during their Bulls tenures. But the two names that stand out the most are Nate Robinson and D.J. Augustin. Both players were picked up off the scrap heap, eventually making Bulls management look like geniuses.
With Rose recovering from ACL surgery, the Bulls signed Robinson during the 2012 offseason. The three-time dunk champ would blossom into one of the team's most important players. He served as a sparkplug off the bench, scoring 13.1 points a night.
Bulls fans will never forget Robinson's huge game during the first round of the 2013 playoffs. In Game 4 of the Brooklyn Nets series, he put up 34 points, including 23 during the fourth quarter. The Bulls won the contest 142-134 in triple-overtime.
Robinson became a free agent after his lone season with the Bulls. The team couldn't afford to retain him so he signed a deal with the Denver Nuggets. He's now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Chicago signed Augustin in December last season, following Rose's meniscus tear. The 2008 lottery pick had just been waived by the Toronto Raptors and was having a disappointing career.
But with the Bulls, who were without Rose and the traded Luol Deng, Augustin stepped up and became the team's leading scorer with 14.9 points per game.
He and MVP candidate Joakim Noah would surprisingly power the club to the Eastern Conference's fourth-best record.
Like Robinson, Augustin played only one season in Chicago. The Bulls had to choose between he and fellow free agent Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich, of course, was retained and Augustin went to the Detroit Pistons.
To Re-Sign or Not to Re-Sign: That Is the Question
Every team will have plenty of decisions to make this summer. Whether to re-sign Brooks will be one of the Bulls' decisions.
With Rose's heath concerns, the team certainly needs a reliable point guard. And that's exactly what Brooks is, providing offense off the bench or starting at times.
Brooks is on a minimum contract right now. If he's willing to accept another cheap deal, the Bulls should definitely keep him. But with the way that he's playing, he'll likely receive an offer from another team that Chicago can't match.
"Unfortunately, the Bulls are seldom able to afford to keep these bargain players following big seasons," Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders said. "It’s one-and-done, mostly because Thibodeau finds ways to rejuvenate players exactly like Brooks."
The Bulls have around $63.9 million committed to 10 players next season. Plus, they'll need as much money as possible to re-sign restricted free agent Jimmy Butler. That means there won't be much cash at all to offer Brooks.
Chicago could go out and find another cheap point guard like they did with Robinson and Augustin. Yet, management is bound to strike out on this type of signing eventually. Nobody's perfect.
While it would be wise to keep Brooks around, expect him to leave for a bigger payday elsewhere.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of March 13.
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