Chicago Bulls: Five Free Agents That May Sign with the Bulls

With the lockout finally over, the Chicago Bulls will be looking to go farther into the playoffs than last year.

After being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was pretty evident what the team was missing—a quality shooting guard.

What the Bulls need is a guy who can defend decently and knock down shots at a consistent rate. Keith Bogans played horribly for a starter last season and shouldn't even be close to being a starter in this league.

They also need to help bolster their bench, which shouldn't be that difficult. Here are five free agents that may sign with the Bulls.

Arron Afflalo

Arron Afflalo is one of the more underrated, and underappreciated, players in this league.

For a non-big name guy, he puts up pretty good numbers and does a lot of things that don't show up on the stat sheet.

One of those things is defending. He is a good defender and can lock down opposing shooting guards, something the Bulls will need if they want any hope at winning the title.

A very underrated aspect of Afflalo's game is his scoring. Playing on a team full of depth and talented scorers during his time in Denver, he was still able to put up a respectable 12 points per game. His scoring would transition seamlessly to Chicago, and he will be able to be the threat they need on offense that they were missing when Bogans was on the floor.

Jason Richardson

Richardson was once one of the league's most electrifying scorers. He still is able to light up the scoreboard, but he's on the wrong side of 30 and he doesn't have the same lift that used to dazzle fans night in and night out.

Richardson would really help Chicago, giving them a guy who can score buckets with ease, and light it up from outside.

His defense is average at best, but he more than makes up for it with smart play and accurate shooting.

He played pretty well last year as the primary scoring option from the wings last year in Orlando, and he can repeat his performance again this year.

Tom Thibodeau can even turn Richardson into a solid defender, much like he did with reigning MVP Derrick Rose.

Tayshaun Prince

Prince has a very mature, all-around game that can benefit the Bulls bench.

He can score from outside, in the post and on the drive.

He also plays very sound defense and was a key component of the Detroit team that won the championship in 2004. 

He'd be the only significant player on the Bulls with a ring if he were to play with them, and no, Brian Scalabrine doesn't count.

He would be a very good role player off the bench for the Bulls who can help bolster the offense and defend while the second unit gets playing time. 

Deshawn Stevenson

Honestly, Stevenson makes a lot of sense to me for the Bulls. Many of the shooting guards they are targeting right now would command contracts that the Bulls might not be able to afford.

Stevenson wouldn't come at a high asking price, and like he showed in the playoff run for Dallas, he can lock up offensive players at a high rate. 

He is also a good long-range shooter, and those two things are all the Bulls really need from their starting shooting guard.

His stroke from outside and defense on the other end could help push the Bulls over the top.

OJ Mayo

OJ Mayo could very possibly become an All-Star if he landed on the Bulls. He's a scorer with good athleticism who can also defend.

He has already shown he can play, just look at his rookie and sophomore seasons. All he needs is to find playing time and a starting role, something he couldn't do last year in Memphis.

Under coach Thibodeau's guidance, just imagine how good Mayo could become. He could likely become a very strong defender who injects the sometimes stagnant Bulls offense with lots of long-range shooting and high-octane scoring.

If he could return to his sophomore season self, the Bulls would become favorites to win the championship hands down.