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Last season, the Chicago Bulls stunned a lot of people by playing their best season since their 2015 50-win team. It did end with a 4-1 loss in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks, but the overall Bulls season can be labeled a success. DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso ended up being incredible additions, and the Bulls' front office will have a challenge this summer to replicate at least some success from the 2021 offseason. They started doing so by drafting Dalen Terry in the 2022 NBA Draft
To make the Bulls a constant playoff team, they need to address some concerns and needs. To help them, we highlight the biggest need the Bulls still must address this offseason after the draft.
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Biggest Bulls Need After 2022 NBA Draft
As said above, the Bulls have a good roster that is clearly capable of making the postseason. It has not accounted for much success, but it is only the first season. They were prevented from hitting their peak due to tons of injuries. Still, the Bulls could look for some moves in the summer, with the most important one being re-signing Zach LaVine. The All-Star will be an unrestricted free agent and could leave, but the Bulls can and should offer him all of the money available, for the full five years. When it comes to needs, however, there is a glaring one: a defensive-minded big man.
There are a few directions they can go in here. If they were to go for a versatile center, they could go for a plethora of options and relegate Nikola Vucevic to the bench. While having a big man as the first player off the bench is not popular, Vucevic is becoming effective against starting lineups and could do better off the bench. If they want to control cost and just go for a specifically defensive option, there are a few paths the Bulls can take. It can be a defense-first power forward to pair up with Vucevic that moves Patrick Williams to the bench, or a veteran bench option to play over Vucevic, should there be a need. Regardless, let's look at some of the best options on the market for what the Bulls need.
The Bulls don't have the cap space to sign a big name but do have a $10 million mid-level exception at their disposal, which they can use to sign Jusuf Nurkic. The Portland Trail Blazers big man will be entering free agency and while he could get the most money out of the Blazers, it is hard to see them spending a ton on the Bosnian. The Bulls also give him a better chance to win, so he may feel comfortable taking a pay cut.
The Bulls could make Nurkic their starting center, as he will bring both offense and defense to the team. He can link up with Ball for some easy pick-and-roll points, plus he can help with ball distribution from the elbows.
If the Bulls are looking to go more defensive specifically, the best option is likely going to be Mo Bamba. It is unclear how much will be needed to get him, as a lowball offer will likely be matched by the Orlando Magic, as he is a restricted free agent, but it is worth a try. When it comes to defensive bigs, Bamba is the best option available out there. Additionally, he is young and still has untapped potential.
If we go by his last year in the league, Bamba improved on his points, rebounds, blocks and efficiency. He even improved on his three-point shot. It is clear that he will be an even better player going forward and with the Bulls looking for a player like him, it could be a match made in heaven. Of course, this is all based on the Magic not matching his offer sheet from the Bulls.
There are obviously other options as well, but these two guys seem to fit the Bulls the best in both regards mentioned above. The Bulls could also go for the likes of Serge Ibaka, JaVale McGee, former Bull Robin Lopez, Ed Davis, Dwight Howard or any of the remaining centers available, who should all be pretty cheap to add. However, when it comes to their needs, Bamba and Nurkic fit the bill. Nurkic is a long-term stability solution, as he is a swiss knife of doing everything on a respectable level. Bamba is the defensive option, with the possibility to become an incredible defender in the future.
Regardless of who they sign, this big man position is the Bulls' biggest need as they enter the 2022 offseason.
