Reggie Bullock had a rough start to his NBA career, but he found his niche and role with the Detroit Pistons, and then the New York Knicks in the 2020-21 season. Bullock ended up moving to the Dallas Mavericks the year after, but he did not experience a similar kind of success. The Mavericks traded him to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-way deal wherein Dallas acquired Grant Williams, but the Spurs decided to buy out his contract.
Since Bullock is a veteran, he is not in a similar timeline with the core of San Antonio. Now, he is free to sign with any franchise, which will likely be a squad in dire need of a three-and-D player who is contending for a championship. Reggie Bullock is a splendid wing who does not need the ball on his hand for long stretches for him to become an effective contributor. He is a terrific plug-and-play guy who can flourish in almost any team.
With that, here are several teams who must pursue the prized UNC forward.
Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the organizations that struggled immensely in finding reliable catch-and-shoot athletes was the Cleveland Cavaliers. They did have two excellent shot creators in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, but Cleveland had trouble finding a consistent third wing who would knock down numerous key buckets whenever defenses collapse, especially in the latter part of the contest.
The front office did the best they could do in the offseason as they acquired Max Strus and Georges Niang. Strus and Niang are two fantastic perimeter shooters, but adding someone who has better defensive prowess like Bullock will be a welcome addition for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Moreover, Bullock is a brilliant option for Cleveland if they decide to play Evan Mobley at the 5, which is the ideal scenario if teams decide to downsize against the Cavs.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have an enormous question mark depth-wise after the Damian Lillard blockbuster so signing an underrated forward such as Reggie Bullock is a crucial step one for the organization. It has been repeated on numerous podcasts that losing Jrue Holiday severely depletes the perimeter defense of Milwaukee because they currently have no one on their roster who can stay in front of someone like Jayson Tatum or Jimmy Butler.
Obviously, Bullock will not limit them to less than 20 PPG in the postseason, but he will at least give them an arduous time in manufacturing their buckets. Bullock will also have the opening to play an instant 20-25 minutes a night because Malik Beasley and MarJon Beauchamp will still need to prove themselves to new head coach Adrian Griffin. The starting wing duo of Pat Connaughton and Khris Middleton are in need of dependable relievers, and Reggie Bullock fits that billing.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets lost three critical role players in the offseason, so they are still searching for veterans who can thrive in head coach Michael Malone's system. Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Thomas Bryant have moved elsewhere, so Malone is likely going to rely on guys like Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji, and Justin Holiday early in the season. If none of these guys pop off, it is evident that Denver needs to shore up their second unit, and there is no better acquisition than knockdown shooter Reggie Bullock.
In a smaller capacity, Bullock can be the viable replacement in the role of Bruce Brown. He is a far less effective shot creator, but Bullock is a more efficient catch-and-shoot forward who can bang it down with any player from one through four. Additionally, Bullock has proven to be a stellar off-ball mover, which is extremely vital when he is on the floor with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. To cap it off, Bullock can play important fourth-quarter minutes if any of the starters are struggling.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics could have had an easier path in acquiring Reggie Bullock if they just asked for him instead of the draft capital Dallas gave them for Grant Williams. That is now water under the bridge, and Boston will need to compete with the other contenders in chasing Bullock in the buyout market. Similar to Denver, Boston's depth is shallow because of the offseason moves they executed.
The Celtics lost Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, who are two of their hard-nosed and physical players. Boston did add Kristaps Porzingis, but their roster has a glaring imbalance, especially with the unknown situation on Malcolm Brogdon. Getting someone like Bullock is an upgrade from Sam Hauser and a reasonable replacement for Grant Williams. Even with the impeccable star power in Boston, Reggie Bullock is the kind of player who will find a way to contribute to multiple facets of the game.
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