Bobby Portis has made it clear that he prefers to continue his NBA career with the Bulls, falling in love with the team, city and fans. But Portis is also betting on himself, as negotiations for a contract extension with the Bulls reached the finish line without a new deal.
But just how close were the Bulls and Portis to almost reaching an agreement before Monday’s deadline? According to K.C. Johnson the difference was about $2 million per year.
Via the Chicago Tribune.
Ultimately, sources said the Portis negotiations produced a roughly $2 million gap annually — roughly $8 million over a four-year deal.
Despite failing to reach a contract extension, the situation could end up helping out both sides going forward.
Portis’ salary cap hold of $7.4 million is less expensive than what his annual salary would have been on their books if a deal had been reached. This means, in theory, the Bulls could sign unrestricted free agents with cap space and then exceed the cap to match any offer Portis might receive in restricted free agency.
Portis was the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft for the Bulls. Since his rookie season, Portis has emerged as more than just a spark off the bench.
Despite Jabari Parker signing a two-year deal worth $40 million in the offseason, he’s taken a backseat to Portis, who is now in the starting lineup for Fred Hoiberg, as the Bulls get ready for their season opener against the 76ers.
Fred Hoiberg confirms that Jabari Parker will come off bench vs. 76ers.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 17, 2018
Portis doesn’t like to talk about money, but he’ll let you know exactly what he thinks about staying with the Bulls.
Bobby Portis: “My game won’t change. I’ll still give it all I got. This is where I want to be long-term.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 16, 2018
Bobby Portis even stronger on wanting to stay in Chicago: "I couldn’t see myself in any other jersey. Obviously, I got Bulls DNA. Me and the city have a love connection somewhere. I just enjoy playing for the Bulls."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 16, 2018
The 23-year-old forward averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22.5 minutes last season, when he was mainly coming off the bench. He shot 47.1 percent from the field and improved his 3-point shooting to 35.9 percent on two attempts per game.
Now, at least for the start of the 2018-19 season, Portis will have a bigger role, so he’ll have plenty of opportunity to continue to grow as a player and work on his biggest weakness, defense.
How will his contract look next offseason? A lot of that will depend on how this year goes for the always energetic Bobby Portis.
