Chicago Bulls Roster: How the Lockout Affects Every One of the Chicago Bulls

After 149 grueling days of being locked out, the players and the owners have FINALLY reached a consensus on a handshake deal today.

Since the lockout is now over, it's time to start looking at how certain players were affected by it. An anecdote that springs to mind is of Shawn Kemp, who came into training camp grossly overweight in 1999, and was never the same again.

Those are the types of storylines we are looking for: who has eaten their way out of the league, who has had a productive offseason and everything in between.

John Lucas III

John Lucas' place on the Bulls really has not changed because of the lockout.

There are only two things that could happen to Lucas: either he is packaged in a trade and cut because of his unguaranteed salary, or the Bulls cut him because of his unsecured salary.

Either way, Lucas' position has not changed much.

Keith Bogans

Keith Bogans is in much of the same position as John Lucas III, except for the fact that he has contributed to the roster at times during the last year.

If I had to bet on it, I think that Chicago trades him as part of a package for a shooting guard, and then that team cuts him for salary relief. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him subsequently resign in Chicago.

So really, his position has not changed at all.

Omer Asik

There has been very little in the way of Omer Asik news during the lockout, and that is fine by me.

Last we saw Omer, he was hobbling off the court with a broken fibula, and that shut the door on the Bulls' chances of beating the Heat.

Asik is one of the players who may have really benefited from the lockout, if he handled it correctly. He was a major player in the Euro Championships this summer, and played well against some great competition, ranking second in the tournament in rebounding per game and averaging nine points per game. 

However the most important aspect of the lockout is that he used the time to get some rest and recover from his broken fibula.

If he did as he should have, Asik could come back right away and be the impact player the Bulls need him to be.

Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson is one of the guys who was really negatively affected by the lockout.

First of all, Taj makes a small rookie salary that is not enough to maintain any lifestyle. Adding to this is the fact that Taj is likely starting to enter his prime, even though he will still make a tiny salary for the next two years.

To top things off, the Mid-Level Exception salaries, one of which Taj will likely get, have been cut in both money and years. So Taj is making small money now, and lost earning power in the future.

That's a recipe for a very negative lockout.

Jimmy Butler

If the offseason is any indication, Jimmy Butler is about to become one of my favorite Chicago Bulls.

All you've heard about during the lockout is that Jimmy was working on his game with former Marquette players, including Wes Matthews and Lazar Haywood. Not only that, but you also hear that Jimmy and Bulls' star Derrick Rose have met up off the court and gotten relatively close, especially since they share a mutual friend.

That is EXACTLY what you want to hear!

Jimmy is a player who, even though he was taken with the 30th pick, is a guy who could fit very nicely into the Bulls' future plans. The fact that he used his offseason to work on his game with other NBA stars is a great sign, and there's nothing better than getting close to the superstar.

Like I said, Jimmy has done everything right so far, and I can't wait to see his first day as a Bull.

Kyle Korver

Korver is a player who really is not affected by the lockout very much.

His salary is relatively stable since he is guaranteed for this season at least. There is a team option for next year that I assume the team would turn down or trade him as salary relief.

Korver's situation has not changed, so all we can do is hope that he has continued working on his jump shot, and that's all we can do at this point.

C.J. Watson

C.J. Watson is a guy who was not affected very much by the lockout.

Sure, he missed his game checks, and that hurts, but in the grand scheme of things he comes out just fine. The one major drawback from the lockout would be the reducing of the Mid-Level Exception salary, which could be something that affects C.J.

However, Watson is currently under contract with the Bulls at a reasonable price, and that doesn't look likely to change.

Joakim Noah

The lockout could prove to be a mixed bag for Joakim Noah.

On a positive note, we can hope to see him healthier this year. Last year overall was a bad year for injuries for Jo, so we can look forward and see that it's a new year and hope that this will be a clean bill of health.

The bad news is that Joakim has had problems in the past with conditioning. Even when he does cardio and attempts to stay in shape, he can't really develop the hustle that makes him an elite center—that only comes with game time.

There is a very good chance that the lockout means Jo will take time to get in shape, but don't worry, it should happen.

Carlos Boozer

This lockout could be the perfect thing for Carlos Boozer.

First of all, Boozer finally had an opportunity to recover from his horrific leg injury that he sustained against Charlotte before the playoffs; the extra rest could only help him.

Second, he is one of the winners of the lockout because he is locked into a long-term contract with big money, even though the new system would not encourage him getting those numbers.

All in all, it's good to be Carlos Boozer. Whether it's good to be a team employing Carlos Boozer remains to be seen.

Luol Deng

Since the Euro Championships happened this summer, you would immediately have doubts about Luol Deng's ability to stay healthy.

The lockout is a win-win situation for Luol Deng, especially the timing.

If Deng had gone overseas to play, I would have had real concerns about his health coming back. He is a player who has a history of stress-related injuries, and Coach Thibodeau has a tendency to wear Deng out. Since the season is starting later, that's less time for Deng to put stress on his fragile body. 

In terms of game, Deng showed great strides this summer during the Euro Championships. He averaged an astounding 22.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game and 39 percent from the shortened three-point line—all while being constantly double and triple teamed since he was the only decent player for Great Britain. Most of Deng's scoring was done off the dribble too, and that's a great sign.

It is not too late for Luol Deng to turn into the Pippen to Rose's Jordan, and a shortened season and a productive offseason could prove to be the catalyst for a great campaign from Deng.

Ronnie Brewer

If the season started today, you would have to assume that Ronnie Brewer is the starting shooting guard, and hopefully he is preparing as such.

When we last saw Brewer, he was limited due to a hand injury, so the most important thing is that he has had time to get over it.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot that Brewer had to do this offseason. All we can hope for is that he has been preparing in order to rightfully earn the starting shooting guard role, and I believe that's what he has done.

Tom Thibodeau

If you think that coach Tom Thibodeau has been taking this lockout as a break, then you don't know Coach Thibs.

If I had to bet what Thibodeau was doing during the 149-day lockout, I would guess about 149 days of film study in preparation for the next year, not including the summer before the lockout and the time for film study today.

The point is, Coach Thibs is one of the hardest-working coaches in the league, and having time off will only help him.

I don't want to set expectations too high, but I would not be surprised at all to come into next season and see Coach Thibs even more well-adjusted than last year—those are the high expectations I have of him. And the lockout only gives him more time to prepare.

Derrick Rose

Is there anyone in the NBA happier that the lockout is over than Derrick Rose?

First of all, I can absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt guarantee you that walking off of the floor defeated is not how D-Rose wanted his magical MVP season to end.

Second, Rose has been hearing all offseason about why he is one of the weakest MVP winners in recent memory. While Derrick shouldn't let the haters get to him, it is foolish to think that he's not prepared to go out and prove them wrong.

Third, on a more logistical note, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is supposed to take away the two-level maximum salary threshold present in the last agreement. Rather than waiting until you've been in the league ten years before being able to sign a max contract, Rose can sign an absolute max contract as soon as he is up for an extension.

Talking numbers, Rose would have been up for a maximum extension at around 14.5 mil to start out with, similar to the deal that LeBron James and company signed for their first extension. However right off the bat, Rose will be able to sign a max contract upwards of 17 mil in the first year, a SIGNIFICANT improvement in the short term for Rose.

All in all, I can imagine that Derrick Rose is just as excited for the season to start as his fans!