Chicago Bulls expected to pursue Nicolas Batum in free agency

The 2022 NBA draft is just a day away and the league’s offseason will pickup soon after with the free agency period. Already the Chicago Bulls are being connected to a few different players including Rudy Gobert and John Collins, via trade rumors.

But now a new name is surfacing.

According to Chris Haynes, Nicolas Batum is expected to receive interest from multiple teams in free agency including the Bulls. Joining Chicago on that list are the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns.

Batum will decline his $3.3M player option and hit free agency but many do expect him to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum is declining his $3.3 million player option to hit free agency, but it is widely expected that he will re-sign a new two-year deal, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

It is anticipated that the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz will have strong interest in trying to pry away the 14-year veteran from Clipper Land, sources said.

But the Clippers are in the driver’s seat, sources said.

This is often the case when players do decline their options as it allows them to get more money and stay with the current team. However, if Batum does listen to other offers, it could take a bigger deal to pull him away from the Clippers.

For the Bulls, it’s clear they want help on the wing and will look at some veteran options to fill that void.

Bulls’ brass believes they are a few pieces away from being a legit contender and with Zach LaVine expected to re-sign as well as DeMar DeRozan returning, that just might be the case. Adding some veteran presence to the roster at key spots could work.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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