This year’s free agency period is going to be quite different for the Chicago Bulls. For the first time in a while, the Bulls should be fairly competitive in going after key names.
Thanks to the boldness of Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago was able to land All Star center Nikola Vucevic and pair him with fellow All Star Zach LaVine. Now, the Bulls become a much more attractive spot for free agents.
Specifically, point guards will be more attracted to Chicago because of their need at the position. It doesn’t appear that Coby White is the guy they can count on to start at, and Tomas Satoransky could end up being traded or stick around as a reserve.
Chicago is going to be looking at a few different names at the point guard position, but a couple of them have been connected to the Bulls as of late.
There is a world where the Chicago Bulls land both Lonzo Ball and Derrick Rose.
When it comes to Lonzo Ball, the Bulls have long been linked to the former UCLA standout. Recently, it was reported by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report that there is mutual interest between Chicago and Ball in signing a 4-year, $80 million deal. Even Yahoo Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes backed up that report within the last few hours.
Rose, meanwhile, could return to Chicago. Also reported by Fischer, Rose is apparently interested in coming back to his home town.
After being drafted no. 1 overall as a 20-year-old kid back in 2008, Rose is now a 32-year-old veteran who has battled through some of the toughest times any professional player could endure.
Bulls fans remember those times well, when it seemed like Rose would never play a full season again after multiple significant knee injuries. At one point, it looked like his career was over. Yet, he battled back, proved he could stay healthy and finally reinvented himself.
For the last four seasons, Rose has proved he can indeed still play in the NBA and play well. His spark off the bench helped the New York Knicks make their postseason run last year, and while it’s still possible he could return to the Big Apple, Chicago remains a serious possibility.
Back to Ball for a brief moment. Last year, the 23-year-old Ball improved his jump shot in a big way. He proved he could score at a higher rate than he had in the past, which is something that’s been a big knock on his game since entering the league. In fact, Ball knocked down an average of three 3-point shots per game last year, shooting them at nearly 38 percent.
Ball’s defense and playmaking ability would fit well next to LaVine and Vucevic. Picturing Ball as the starter and Rose coming off the bench as the team’s sixth man could equal a definite playoff appearance for these Bulls — and maybe more.
If Chicago is able to secure both Ball and Rose, look out. They’ll be a completely different team than they were a year ago, and ready to compete in the East.
