Bulls Free Agent Target: Fred VanVleet |
It is no secret why the Bulls have struggled so much dating back to last season.
That was when prized offseason acquisition Lonzo Ball went down with a knee injury, and he hasn't seen the floor since. The Bulls remain confident that he will return at some point, but we are approaching two years since he last stepped on the floor, and the question is starting to become what type of player Ball will be when he returns, if he does return at all. The lack of a PG in Chicago was apparent throughout the course of last season, as the offense seemed disjointed most of the year. It wasn't until the Bulls acquired Patrick Beverley late in the season that they started to play better basketball, and it is not a coincidence that he filled the need this team had. While Beverley will not score a ton of points, he does many of the same things Ball brought to the table, including playing tough defense. The Bulls were a top-five defensive club when Ball was in the lineup, as he neutralized the other team's primary ball handlers. Without him, the Bulls don't even crack the top 20 defensively, and his ability to shoot the three was greatly missed in the lineup. With his future still, in question about whether or not he will return, the Bulls enter the 2023-24 season with the same question as last year regarding the PG situation. Sure, guys like Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, and possibly Dalen Terry could all be options, but none of them are as skilled as Ball and wouldn't make the difference he makes on the floor. If it is revealed that Ball will miss extended time again, which is starting to look like the case, the Bulls may have to hit the open market and try and add a PG to lead this team. If that is the case, why not look at former Toronto Raptors PG Fred VanVleet as an option, as he declined his player option for next year? VanVleet may not be the most popular name among the free agents this season, but he could be one of the best, if not the best, PG on the market. Throw in his close friendship with DeMar DeRozan going back to his Toronto days and his familiarity with Marc Eversley, and this seems like a match made in heaven for the Bulls. Set to make 22.8 million this season, VanVleet will now hit free agency, where he will be looking for a multi-year deal. Although he may not get the same annual money his player option had, should he be able to get a three-year deal close to 18-20 million per season, you know VanVleet will consider it as this may be the last big deal he signs. VanVleet has often been regarded as one of the more underrated PGs in the NBA, and despite a down season last year still put up great numbers. VanVleet still averaged 19.3 PPG last season, which would have ranked third on the Bulls, while his 7.2 APG would have been more than what Ball averaged when he was starting. Going a bit further, his assists ranked in the top 15 in the NBA, and that would be huge for an offense that needs a distributor running the show. Additionally, his defense is vastly underrated as VanVleet remains an above-average defender who was one of only six players this season to average 1.8 steals or better. That ranks him in the 86th percentile and puts him right up there with Ball and Caruso, who are in the 90th and 93rd percentile in that category. Another thing VanVleet does phenomenally well is knock down the three-point shot, as he knocks down better than 37% of his attempts. For a team that lacks three-point shooting, the 29-year-old VanVleet would add that element to the offense, which can only help other players get better looks on the floor. While this deal seems like an ideal move for Chicago, the ultimate hangup is the financial side, as the Bulls are still tight on cap space. Unless they move on from either Ball or Nikola Vucevic, I don't see a scenario where they could add VanVleet to their roster. With that being said, if the Bulls want to contend next season, they need to add a PG, and VanVleet is the best option they have going forward.
