Tonight’s the night. NBA free agency officially begins at 6 PM ET as teams will be allowed to negotiate with players. While teams can’t officially sign players until Friday tonight is when all big free agent signings will be announced. The Bulls are expected to be active tonight as they are in need of help at the point guard position. A lot of names are tied to the Bulls and it’s hard to keep everything straight. We are going to break down who we believe will be joining the Bulls tonight and what to expect.
Is Lonzo Ball a guarantee?
Based on the majority of reports out there, point guard Lonzo Ball will become a Chicago Bull tonight. Yesterday it was reported that unless there was a major hiccup Lonzo would be headed to Chicago. All signs are pointing towards that still being the case today. However, it does look like the Boston Celtics may take a run at Lonzo tonight.
Report: Lonzo Ball is still expected to sign an offer sheet with the Bulls,
“Although Boston’s interest in Ball continues to be mentioned by league sources as well.”
(via @JakeLFischer) pic.twitter.com/OXEkYPD0Jx
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 2, 2021
While this likely will occur at this stage it seems like there’s mutual interest between both Ball and the Bulls. Unless Boston is going to offer him a significant amount more than Chicago it doesn’t look like he will be headed to the Celtics. As it sits right now Lonzo coming to the Bulls looks to be a sure thing. Anything can happen once free agency opens up and we should never expect anything to be a guarantee. The New Orleans did extend a qualifying offer to Lonzo so they can match any offers made to him by other teams. They likely won’t as it’s rumored they are after another free agent point guard. However, that’s still something to be considered.
Don’t be surprised if this is one of the first moves you hear about once free agency starts tonight. This will likely be the first of a few moves the Bulls make tonight.
The Bulls are looking for a veteran big man
Unfortunately for the Bulls, it doesn’t look like they will be able to keep backup center, Daniel Theis. His price tag is too high for a team looking to add some big names. With that in mind, this team needs someone to come off the bench and control the paint. Reports came out over the weekend that the Bulls are looking to bring in a 3 time NBA Champion center.
According to @ChrisBHaynes on NBA TV:
1) "Sources have informed me that it looks like there is going to be a marriage that's going to get started between Lonzo Ball and the Chicago Bulls."
2) The Bulls are interested in Javale McGee.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 1, 2021
Yup, it appears the Bulls are looking at bringing in the 13-year veteran JaVale McGee. McGee is an active big man who can come off the bench and give meaningful minutes while the starters get a break. McGee is currently playing with the US Olympic team along with Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine. While McGee still has a lot of basketball left in him he is 33 years old. He’s at the point in his career where he isn’t looking for a major contract. He would be a cheap yet effective option for the Bulls here.
While it’s unclear how much interest there is between the two he is a name we will likely hear tied to the Bulls this evening. The Bulls will also benefit from having their best player on the team currently playing with McGee. If LaVine gives them the green light and the money is right JaVale will likely be on the Bulls tonight.
Will the Bulls add multiple point guards?
The Bulls have been tied to another point guard heading into the start of free agency. That point guard is no other than Chicago native Derrick Rose. There have been a lot of reports about the Bulls and Rose having a mutual interest in one another. While that’s nice to see the question is how would they be able to afford Rose on top of Lonzo Ball? Rose may be willing to take a hometown discount but coming off carrying the New York Knicks in the playoffs he will likely go for as much money as he can get. Even at that, there were reports that Rose is looking to go to a contender. If he believes the Bulls are a contender then they are certainly an option. In the current state, the Bulls may not be what he’s looking for.
However, the Bulls front office is very crafty. They know their way around the salary cap and if they can make it work they certainly will. One of the team’s biggest issues last season was the lack of point guard play. If they can bring in Lonzo Ball and another solid point guard off the bench this team is going to improve instantly. While Rose would be a good fit as well as a good story the Bulls still have another option when it comes to bringing in another point guard.
Sign & trade options
The Bulls still have one card left to play. That card is with forward Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen is currently a restricted free agent. While the Bulls could match any offer extended his way if they wanted to it’s unlikely. However, it was reported that Markkanen is open to a sign & trade. When the offseason began there were rumors of interest from the Spurs. The Spurs also have a point guard who is reportedly available for trade.
The Spurs reportedly want Lauri Markkanen.
Lauri Markkanen is reportedly open to agreeing to a sign and trade.
Dejounte Murray is reportedly available in trade talks.
Zach Lavine and Dejounte Murray are good friends.
See where I’m going with this?
— Artūras Karnišovas Fan Club (@arturasfanclub) August 2, 2021
If things don’t work out between Rose and the Bulls they may look to extend a trade offer to the Spurs for Dejounte Murray. Murray and LaVine are both from Seattle and have worked out with each other in the past. There’s chemistry existing already and if the team is looking to add even more talent at the guard position this is a possibility. Head coach Billy Donovan has been known to run with three-guard lineups and this would create exactly what he likes to do. This is likely a backup option for the Bulls unless everything with Rose was smoke and mirrors. Things should become much clearer tonight at 6 pm ET.
Expect the Bulls to be active
The one thing to take away from all of this is to expect this front office to be active. They see a window opening up for this team and they want to strike now. They want to add a big-name point guard. On top of that want to add depth and they want to make the Bulls competitive again. The news is going to come out quickly once things officially open up. Keep yourself glued to that Twitter feed as the Bulls will likely be one of the first announcements when it’s officially time.
