Ranking Bulls’ Priorities for 2024 NBA Free Agency

Ranking Bulls’ Priorities for 2024 NBA Free Agency0 of 3

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The 2024 NBA offseason could spark a sea of change for the Chicago Bulls.

Or they could once again commit to the continuity theme that they seem to believe will eventually click despite mounting evidence that it absolutely won’t work.

The Bulls will have ample opportunity to change their roster with some of the biggest decisions coming during free agency. That’s where they must decide whether to retain key contributors or replace them with whatever breezes through the Windy City next.

Let’s dig deeper into the free-agency to-do list, then, by ranking the top three priorities on the board.

3. Re-Sign or Replace Andre Drummond1 of 3

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Two summers back, the Bulls brought Andre Drummond to the Windy City on a two-year, $6.6 million deal.

The return on that investment has been significant.

The veteran has been one of the league’s most productive backup bigs over this stretch. He doesn’t seen a ton of floor time due to rather severe offensive limitations—he adds next to nothing away from the basket—but he absolutely makes the most of his minutes. His per-36-minutes averages speak to that interior activity: 18.9 rebounds, 17.4 points and 3.1 combined blocks and steals, per Basketball-Reference.

Those numbers will get him noticed as an unrestricted free agent. The question is whether they’ll also get him a richer deal than Chicago wants to pay. If he bolts out of town for more money, minutes or both, the Bulls will feel his absence and have to respond to it with a signing of their own.

2. Pricing Patrick Williams’ Next Contract2 of 3

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With some players, there’s usually a pretty good sense of the kind of coin they’ll find in free agency. Patrick Williams is not one of those players.

The No. 4 pick of the 2020 draft hinted at two-way star potential even before his arrival. If everything broke right, folks wondered whether Chicago had found the next coming of Kawhi Leonard.

Williams has seldom flashed that kind of upside ever since. Injuries—he’s only topped 45 games twice—and a support role could be holding him back, but he has largely looked like a three-and-D wing. Those are helpful to have, but obviously not centerpieces.

He hasn’t even turned 23 yet, so maybe he is nowhere near his ceiling. Or perhaps the player he’s been the past four seasons looks an awful lot like the one he’ll be for the duration of his next deal. He is hard to figure out and probably even harder to price as a restricted free agency. The Bulls surely have a number they are comfortable paying him, but it will be fascinating to see what happens if he inks an offer sheet that exceeds that pay rate by a not insignificant amount.

1. Deciding DeMar DeRozan’s Future3 of 3

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Want to get a clear and concise read on Chicago’s plans for next season? Just watch how DeMar DeRozan’s unrestricted free agency plays out.

If the Bulls are aiming to maximize their competitiveness, they won’t let DeRozan get away. He has been objectively awesome over his three seasons with the team (25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game) and even better in big moments. He’s had the second-most clutch points in each of the past three seasons, and the worst he ever shot on those late-game looks was 47.1 percent, per NBA.com.

Of course, if Chicago is finally ready to shift its focus forward, then the idea of giving DeRozan, who turns 35 in August, a new deal is a non-starter. To be clear, the Bulls have given no indication of being open to a rebuild, but with the last three seasons having yielded just a single playoff trip and no series wins, that has to be an option they’re at least considering.

The likeliest scenario seemingly involves giving DeRozan a new deal and working to beef up the roster around him and breakout star Coby White, but that obviously isn’t the only way things can play out. Once it’s clear whether DeRozan is sticking around or not, the rest of their offseason decisions should become a lot easier to make.