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2019 Offseason In Review: Chicago Bulls

September 26th, 2019 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Chicago Bulls.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Thaddeus Young: Three years, $40.64MM. Third year non-guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
- Tomas Satoransky: Three years, $30MM. Third year partially guaranteed ($5MM). Acquired via sign-and-trade using cap room.
- Ryan Arcidiacono: Three years, $9MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Luke Kornet: Two years, $4.5MM. Signed using room exception.
- Shaquille Harrison: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($175K). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Adam Mokoka
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Perrion Callandret: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Milton Doyle: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
  - Note: Deal has been reported but is not yet official.
- Simisola Shittu: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
  - Note: Deal has been reported but is not yet official.
- Justin Simon: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).

Trades:

Acquired Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade from the Wizards in exchange for either the Bulls’ or Grizzlies’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the right to swap the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick for either the Bulls’ or Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), and the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with protections removed.
- Note: The Wizards had acquired the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with 31-36 protection in a previous trade.

Draft picks:

1-7: Coby White — Signed to rookie contract.
2-38: Daniel Gafford — Signed to four-year, minimum-salary contract. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Signed using cap room.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Signed head coach Jim Boylen to contract extension.
Hired Chris Fleming as lead assistant coach.
Hired Roy Rogers as assistant coach.
Received permission to remove Omer Asik‘s cap hit from their books.
Wendell Carter underwent core muscle surgery.

Salary cap situation:

Used cap space; now over the cap.
Carrying approximately $112.31MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$2.52MM of room exception still available ($2.25MM used on Luke Kornet).

Story of the summer:

The Bulls have been in rebuilding mode since trading Jimmy Butler to Minnesota during the 2017 offseason. Chicago won 27 games in 2017/18 and just 22 games last season, reflecting both the team’s ongoing youth movement and a struggle to keep its roster healthy.

While the Bulls aren’t yet ready to go head-to-head with the Eastern Conference’s heavyweights, they entered the 2019 offseason looking to take real steps toward contention. After all, Otto Porter is entering his seventh NBA season, Zach LaVine is entering his sixth season, and Lauri Markkanen will be in his third year. With several of their cornerstone pieces in or nearing their respective primes, the Bulls believe it’s time to win a few more games.

That goal was evident based on Chicago’s approach to free agency. After using the No. 7 overall pick to select point guard Coby White, the team wasn’t content to hand him the keys to the offense, going out and acquiring veteran point guard Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade with the Wizards to add some stability to the backcourt.

The Bulls took a similar approach up front. With veteran center Robin Lopez departing in free agency, the franchise could’ve leaned on its frontcourt duo of Markkanen and Wendell Carter. While those two big men should see plenty of important minutes in 2019/20, Chicago also brought in free agent power forward Thaddeus Young, a reliable veteran who has appeared in 51 playoff contests over the course of his 12-year career.

Outside of Young, Porter (31 playoff games) and Satoransky (16), no other Bull has played in more than one postseason series, so adding vets with that sort of experience was crucial for a club with playoff aspirations.

Key offseason losses:

Wayne Selden and Antonio Blakeney saw regular minutes for the Bulls during the 2018/19 season, but their departures won’t have a huge impact on the team’s rotation. Denzel Valentine will be back to help fill minutes at shooting guard this season behind LaVine, and the club has so many points guards on its roster that I expect we’ll see them sharing the court at times, reducing the need for twos like Selden and Blakeney.

The most noticeable loss in Chicago’s locker room may be Lopez, who has been the team’s veteran leader during its rebuild over the last couple years. The 31-year-old wasn’t putting up huge numbers or playing big minutes (he averaged 9.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 21.7 MPG last season), but his understanding of the game and ability to do the little things made him a good mentor for the likes of Markkanen and Carter.

Key offseason additions:

The Bulls’ signing of Jabari Parker during the 2018 offseason was questionable at the time and looked worse as the season progressed. While the team was at least able to use Parker’s expiring contract to acquire Porter from the Wizards, the front office appears to have learned its lesson based on the way it approached free agency this time around.

Rather than focusing on one-dimensional contributors like Parker, the Bulls zeroed in on veterans with more versatile skill sets. Young’s combination of size and agility allows him to guard multiple positions, and he won’t hurt you on offense either — he hasn’t averaged fewer than 11 points per game since his rookie season and he knocks down the occasional three-pointer.

As for Satoransky, he got the chance to play more in Washington over the last two years with John Wall sidelined and showed off impressive efficiency, posting a .501 FG% and .422 3PT% since the start of the 2017/18 season. While his counting stats don’t jump off the page, Satoransky was an important glue guy for the Wizards, who had a +0.7 net rating when he played last season and a -6.4 rating when he sat.

Unlike last year’s big free agent addition, neither Young nor Satoransky needs a ton of touches on offense, meaning their presence shouldn’t stand in the way of having LaVine and Markkanen take on the primary scoring responsibilities.

The Bulls’ other notable addition this summer was No. 7 overall draft pick White, who was widely viewed as the third-best point guard in the draft. The former UNC standout isn’t an elite distributor, so it will be interesting to see what he looks like sharing the backcourt with another shoot-first guard like LaVine. And with so many point guards on the roster (Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison, and Ryan Arcidiacono join White and Satoransky), it remains to be seen how many minutes he’ll get. Still, after failing to develop Dunn into the sort of impact player they hoped he’d become, the Bulls will be especially invested in getting it right with White.

Outlook for 2019/20:

I don’t mind what Chicago did in the offseason, and this Bulls roster certainly looks better than the one that only managed to win 22 games last season. Still, the franchise’s upside will ultimately be dictated on what it gets from its up-and-coming young players. The team knows what it can reasonably expect from vets like Young and Satoransky, but the improvements made by players like LaVine, Markkanen, and Carter will be the wild cards.

If the Bulls stay healthier this year than they have in recent years and at least one or two of those young players takes a major step forward, it’s not crazy to envision a scenario where the club sneaks into the postseason. At the very least, the Bulls should remain in the hunt for the playoffs a little longer this time around than they did a year ago, when a 5-20 start had them out of contention well before Christmas.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bulls Sign Perrion Callandret

September 25th, 2019 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed former Idaho guard Perrion Callandret to a contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Callandret published a photo on Instagram on Tuesday that showed him putting pen to paper.

Callandret, who went undrafted out of Idaho a year ago, averaged 9.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .440/.407/.667 shooting during his final college season in 2017/18.

The 24-year-old is close with Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who reportedly asked Chicago to consider Callandret for a spot on their Summer League roster earlier this year. The Bulls did end up taking Callandret to Las Vegas, where he appeared in four Summer League games for the club. Now, he has signed his first NBA contract with the team.

Callandret is unlikely to earn a spot on Chicago’s regular season roster, but the fact that the Bulls were willing to sign him to an NBA contract suggests they may want him on their G League roster this season. Assuming his deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, he’d be eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived by Chicago and then spends at least two months with the Windy City Bulls.

Previewing What Adam Mokoka Could Bring To Bulls

September 22nd, 2019 at 8:37pm CST by JD Shaw

Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago previews what Adam Mokoka could bring to the Bulls this season, with the 21-year-old currently on a two-way contract. Mokoka averaged 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in summer league with Chicago, playing in a total of five games.

14 NBA Teams Have Open 20-Man Roster Spots

September 20th, 2019 at 7:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With NBA training camps right around the corner, several more teams filled their 20-man offseason rosters this week. The Hornets did so on Monday, with the Mavericks, Pistons, Raptors, and Hawks following suit over the next few days. Those clubs join a list of 16 total teams that don’t have any openings on their offseason rosters.

Of course, every NBA team with a full 20-man roster is carrying multiple players who have non-guaranteed contracts, so it’s not as if any of them would be hamstrung if they really want to sign another player. But for now at least, it appears as if those 16 teams have their 20-man squads set for when camps get underway at the end of the month.

That leaves 14 clubs that still have open roster spots, as our tracker shows. Here’s a breakdown of those teams, along with my speculation on whether we can expect them to make moves within the next week or two:

19 players under contract:

Golden State Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers
Sacramento Kings
Washington Wizards

None of these teams are carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so it’s possible they’ll still add a veteran player who could earn a regular season roster spot. But it’s more likely that they’ll each sign another young player who could end up in the G League, since all four teams have their own NBAGL affiliates. The Wizards, who need to add some point guard depth, are said to be eyeing Chris Chiozza for their final spot.

18 players under contract:

Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers

While it’s not official yet, the Celtics essentially have a full roster. Kaiser Gates and Yante Maten have both reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts with the Celtics, but have yet to finalize them. Once they’re under contract, Boston’s 20-man roster will be full.

The Magic could also have a full 20-man roster if and when they complete their reported agreement with Isaac Humphries and sign first-round pick Chuma Okeke. The Pelicans, meanwhile, reportedly reached deals with undrafted rookies Jalen Adams, Javon Bess, and Aubrey Dawkins, but there’s only room for two of them on the roster, so unless New Orleans plans to waive a player, the team won’t be signing all three.

The Rockets are signing Thabo Sefolosha and would have room for one more camp invitee, while I’d expect the Suns to invite two more young players to camp with them.

The Nuggets and Trail Blazers don’t have their own G League affiliates, so they may not fill out their rosters unless they just need healthy bodies for camp.

17 players under contract:

Brooklyn Nets
Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma City Thunder

All three of these teams have their own G League affiliates and should fill out their camp rosters with young players who can play for the Long Island Nets, Windy City Bulls, or OKC Blue. Of course, rumors continue to swirl that the Nets are eyeing Carmelo Anthony, but I wouldn’t expect the Bulls or Thunder to be seeking any veteran help.

Heat Sign Guard Mychal Mulder

September 16th, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have signed guard Mychal Mulder, according to a team press release.

It figures to be an Exhibit 10 contract, as the hard-capped Heat have a pair of open spots on their camp roster.

Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, acquired Mulder from the Windy City Bulls in exchange for the rights to Charles Cooke and the South Bay Lakers’ first-round draft pick earlier in the day. Cooke has committed to play in Italy this season, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

Mulder appeared in 47 games with the Windy City Bulls last season and averaged 13.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 1.6 APG in 32.9 MPG. Mulder shot 41.2% from three-point range. He also played regularly for the Bulls’ G League affiliate the previous season.

Mulder went undrafted in 2017 after playing two seasons at Kentucky. He worked out for the Timberwolves in June.

Bulls Sign Justin Simon To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 15th, 2019 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 15: The signing is official, according to the Real GM Transactions Log.

SEPTEMBER 12: Undrafted rookie free agent Justin Simon will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls today, league sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Once it’s official, the signing will increase Chicago’s roster count to 17 players.

Simon, who declared for the 2019 draft as an early entrant following his junior year at St. John’s, averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.2 APG in 34 games (32.9 MPG) last season. The 6’5″ shooting guard struggled from beyond the arc, making just 28.9% of his attempts, but provided plenty of value on the other end of the court, earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors.

After going undrafted in June, Simon joined the Bulls for Summer League play and impressed the team in Las Vegas by averaging 6.8 PPG and 4.0 RPG with a .516 FG% in five games (21.0 MPG). He worked out for the Heat last month, but will head to training camp with Chicago.

With 14 players on guaranteed contracts and Shaquille Harrison also expected to make the regular season roster, the Bulls project to have a full 15-man squad. According to Zagoria, Simon will likely end up with the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

Carter Will Anchor Bulls' Defense

September 13th, 2019 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls second-year center Wendell Carter will be the foundation of the team’s defense, Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Carter will do most of the dirty work, along with being used as an offensive facilitator. The Bulls will rely on him for shot-blocking as well as to mask some of his teammates’ defensive shortcomings, Strotman adds.

Bulls Release Guard Antonio Blakeney

September 9th, 2019 at 4:50pm CST by marksuleymanov

SEPTEMBER 9, 4:50pm: The Bulls have officially released Blakeney, according to a team press release. He gave up $100K in the buyout agreement, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

SEPTEMBER 7, 11:32am: The Bulls are set to release guard Antonio Blakeney, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania (via Twitter), the two sides reached an agreement on a buyout.

After Chicago re-signed Shaquille Harrison earlier this offseason, there was an expectation that Blakeney would be released, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Unlike Blakeney, Harrison doesn’t yet have a fully guaranteed contract, but it sounds like he’s being penciled in as the team’s 15th man.

Blakeney, 22, has suited up for the Bulls the past two seasons. In a career high 57 games last season, the New York native averaged 7.3 PPG while shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc.

By cutting the LSU product, the Bulls have brought the total of fully guaranteed contracts on the roster to 14, with Harrison and his partial guarantee also in the mix.

Bulls Notes: Satoransky, Porter, Blakeney, Harrison

September 7th, 2019 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls believe they pulled off a steal by landing Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade with the Wizards, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago gave up a pair of second-round picks for the fourth-year combo guard after reaching a three-year, $30MM agreement with him in free agency. Satoransky was a restricted free agent, but his price tag was too high for Washington to match in the face of salary cap concerns.

Satoranksy averaged 8.9 points and 5.0 assists in 80 games last season and took over as the Wizards’ starting point guard after an injury sidelined John Wall midway through the season. But Bulls coach Jim Boylen said the intangibles that Santoransky brings are just as important.

“In my conversation with (vice president of basketball operations John Paxson) and (general manager Gar Forman), it was about what kind of character we can bring in that can still play, that can help us win because what we’ve needed is durability and availability. We haven’t had that,” Boylen said. “In looking out over the free agents and the guys we felt we could get, just looking at where Washington was and what they were trying to do, having some (cap) issues, he was the guy we targeted for all those characteristics I believe in.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls had a strong advocate for Satoransky in former teammate Otto Porter Jr., Crowley adds. Porter, who was acquired from Washington in a February trade, was also deemed expandable because the Wizards were looking to trim salary. “Otto loved him, and ‘Sato’ loved Otto,’’ Boylen said. “Otto is a big part of this team. His trade is not talked about enough. We were 7-5 in February because, first of all, we got rid of (Jabari Parker), and we added a guy who brings synergy and chemistry. Otto has that synergy and chemistry with ‘Sato.’’’
The impending release of Antonio Blakeney is good news for Shaquille Harrison, who is now ticketed for the 15th roster spot, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Harrison is entering his second season with the Bulls after putting together a 6.5/3.0/1.9 line in 73 games last year. He is scheduled to make $1,620,564 this season, but carries just a $175K guarantee until January 10, when all NBA contracts become fully guaranteed.
Once Blakeney hits waivers, he’ll be eligible to be claimed by any team except for the Warriors and Heat, who are both have hard cap restrictions, according to Marks (Twitter link). If he is claimed, Blakeney’s contract will carry a $1.6MM cap hit.

Hutchison Suffers Hamstring Strain

September 6th, 2019 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls swingman Chandler Hutchison suffered a left hamstring strain while working out this week, according to a post on the team’s website. While the injury doesn’t appear serious, it’s a reminder of the team’s lack of depth along the wings, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Hutchison is slated as a backup to Otto Porter at small forward while Antonio Blakeney and Denzel Valentine, who was injured all of last season, are the top options behind shooting guard Zach LaVine.