Joffrey Lauvergne Qualifying Offer Reportedly Will Be Extended by Bulls

The Chicago Bulls reportedly plan to extend a qualifying offer to center Joffrey Lauvergne, making him a restricted free agent.                           

David Aldridge of TNT reported the news Wednesday. 

Lauvergne, 25, played 20 games for the Bulls in 2016-17 after coming over from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline in February. He averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and had one regular-season start.

The Bulls will owe $2.1 million to Lauvergne in 2017-18 if he accepts the qualifying offer and becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. If he declines, Chicago will have matching rights on any offer he receives in restricted free agency. 

While his brief stint with the team last season didn't consist of much production, Lauvergne could return to a Bulls team far different than the one he joined. Jimmy Butler's trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves reshapes the Bulls' outlook, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them shed a couple more veteran pieces over the summer.

Robin Lopez is the incumbent center and could be a nice piece on a contending team if the offer's right. Backup Cristiano Felicio is also a restricted free agent and has shown enough flashes he may get an offer too big for the Bulls to match on the open market.        

At the least, giving Lauvergne the qualifying offer might just be insurance in case Felicio leaves.