Players Bulls Should Target in Free Agency
It was a productive draft night for the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. They selected Florida State small forward Patrick Williams with the No. 4 overall pick and then later added Montenegrin center Marko Simonovic (No. 44 overall pick) and Kansas point guard Devon Dotson (undrafted free agent).
Those were solid additions to the Bulls' roster, but there's still work to be done. On Friday, the NBA's free-agency period will begin, allowing teams start to negotiate with the best available players to finalize their rosters ahead of the 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to begin Dec. 22.
Chicago is sure to make additions. With small forward Otto Porter Jr. accepting his $28.5 million player option for 2020-21, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls are over the salary cap. But as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago recently noted, they can still use their non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($9.3 million) and bi-annual exception ($3.6 million) to add to the team.
Chicago is also extending a qualifying offer to Denzel Valentine, which will make him a restricted free agent, but it didn't do that for Kris Dunn and Shaquille Harrison, so they will become unrestricted free agents, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
The Bulls still have work to do. Here's a look at three free agents they should consider targeting this offseason.
D.J. Augustin, PG
1 of 3
With Dunn likely heading elsewhere, the Bulls could use a veteran point guard to come in and serve as a complementary option to the 20-year-old Coby White. One target could be Augustin, who played 61 games for Chicago during the 2013-14 season and has been a reliable player during his 12-year NBA career.
The 33-year-old is coming off a strong season for the Orlando Magic in which he averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 assists in 57 games (13 starts). It was his fourth season in Orlando, but he's set to be an unrestricted free agent and could soon be on the move again, having already played for eight teams in his career.
Augustin signed with the Bulls in December 2013 and averaged 14.9 points and 5.0 assists for them, mostly coming off the bench. He also played in all five of their playoff games in 2014, averaging 13.2 points per contest in a five-game series loss to the Washington Wizards in the opening round.
The Bulls haven't had much success since they parted ways with Augustin, but he could be a valuable addition to helping them take a step forward in 2020-21. And with so many young players on the roster, he could prove to be a mentor.
Derrick Jones Jr., SF
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In October, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Bulls were among the teams "expected to have interest" in Jones. And even after Chicago drafted Williams, it's still possible that it may want to pursue Jones, who is only 23 and has the potential to keep improving.
Jones is an unrestricted free agent coming off a solid 2019-20 season with the Miami Heat in which he averaged a career-high 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 59 games (16 starts). He also showed off his incredible dunking ability by winning the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend in February.
Williams is only 19, so perhaps the Bulls will want to add a player with a bit more experience on the wing to their rotation in addition to Porter. And if the Bulls can bring in Jones, he's a high-upside small forward who may take another big step forward next season.
Glenn Robinson III, SF
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If the Bulls miss out on some of the top wing players on the free-agent market, one potential target could be Glenn Robinson III, who is an unrestricted free agent coming off the best season of his six-year NBA career. The 26-year-old averaged career highs in points (11.7) and rebounds (4.4) in 62 games in 2019-20, 48 with the Golden State Warriors and 14 with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Robinson was traded to the 76ers in February, but he dealt with injuries after the season resumed in July and didn't play in any of the team's playoff games. When he was healthy, though, he proved he can be a solid contributor, and he could bring depth to the Bulls' rotation on the wing.
With some higher-profile names on the free-agent market, Chicago could be in the mix for a player like Robinson, whom it should be able to sign to an affordable contract.
If Robinson can repeat his production from 2019-20, he will be a strong role player wherever he ends up next season. And if that's with the Bulls, he could help a young team take positive strides forward.
