NBA Free Agents: Chicago Bulls and Teams in Need of SG

The Bulls are the highest profile team in need of a shooting guard, but there are others in need at the position. Depending on who you ask and what the specific need is, Jason Richardson or Jamal Crawford seem to be the class of the shooting guard group.

Oddly enough, neither of them is the best fit in Chicago.

Crawford had his initial stint in the NBA with the Bulls. While it was mildly successful, Crawford is not a defensive-minded player and that is not the best fit for the Bulls under coach Tom Thibodeau.

Richardson is a little better for Chicago, but he will command the largest salary of any two-guard available. That may be a a deterrent for the Bulls as they have to max out Derrick Rose and will probably want some wiggle room to lure Dwight Howard if that possibility becomes available.

Stephen A. Smith reported on ESPN 1000 in Chicago while on the Waddle and Silvy Show that Tracy McGrady would sign with the Bulls. If that is true, and that is the only two-guard the Bulls sign, that will not be enough to improve the team's biggest weakness.

Considering the low cost to sign T-Mac, there is no reason he should be the only addition at shooting guard.

The best fit for the Bulls is Arron Afflalo as far as the free-agent market goes with the possible exception being Marcus Thornton from Sacramento. The Kings seem far more intent upon matching any offer for Thornton than the Nuggets do for Afflalo.

Afflalo is a good defender, is physical and knocks down open three-pointers.

Signing both guards would allow the Bulls to decline the option on Keith Bogans' contract and trade Ronnie Brewer, or at least slide him behind Luol Deng to help relieve his minute total from last season.

Here are other teams that also need a shooting guard.

Denver

The Nuggets will probably have the highest amount of turnover of any team in the league. They will lose Kenyon Martin, Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith, all of which signed contracts with teams in China, without an out until March.

Afflalo doesn't seem like he will return either. Denver must decide if they are going to spend to try to grab a two-guard that will keep them competitive or if they will go into rebuilding mode.

I think the Nuggets will grab a veteran, second-tier shooting guard and look for their future starter in the 2012 NBA Draft, where the shooting guard crop could be nice. This will especially be the case in the lottery, where the Nuggets will almost certainly be.

New Orleans

The Hornets are another team that is expected to have high turnover. If Chris Paul is dealt before the season starts, it will symbolize a free for all that will lead to an entire new direction for the team. 

The Hornets may decide to maintain unrestricted free agent Marco Belinelli, as long as the asking price doesn't escalate too far past the $3.4 million qualifying offer.

If CP3 is dealt, expect the Hornets to refrain from any long-term deals, also choosing to start their rebuilding through the draft.

New Jersey

The Nets have the best opportunity to maintain the services of their current franchise player, Deron Williams. They have an owner with deep pockets who won't likely shy away from the luxury tax.

They are also headed to Brooklyn and a new facility after this season.

That could lead to Williams re-signing and the Nets looking for a quality shooting guard to pair with him. For that reason, I think they are the front-runners to land Jamal Crawford.

It would be a return to the New York area for Crawford and a Williams-Crawford backcourt would be competitive.

The Nets still have other issues, but the move would likely make them a playoff team, provided they adequately replace Kris Humphries at power forward if he leaves via free agency.

Washington

The Wizards are now John Wall's team and depending on his ascension this season, the team could be in position to challenge for a playoff spot in the East.

That is uncertain, so a move for a shooting guard would need to offer prospects of immediate quality as well as room to grow with Wall and rookie Jan Vesely.

That crosses out Richardson, but it does make it more likely the Wizards may be able to retain unrestricted free agent Nick Young. He is only 26 years old and he really came into last year as a scorer.

Young poured in a team-high 17.4 points per game. It is a huge likelihood he stays put.