Despite talks of a contract extension currently put on hold, it appears that Chicago Bulls power forward Bobby Portis still heavily figures in the team's plans for the immediate future.
Executive VP John Paxson recently confirmed this in an interview, per the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
Bulls exec VP John Paxson tells assembled reporters that franchise values Bobby Portis and believes his work ethic is valuable for what it represents. Called extensions negotiations extensive and expressed hope Bulls will re-sign Portis next summer.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 16, 2018
Portis is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season, which means it is possible he could walk away from the Bulls next summer. That is of course if another team offers him a deal, and if the Bulls decide against matching said offer.
Money is likely to be the main reason behind the stalled contract negotiations. Portis is set to earn $2.5 million this season and is in line for a raise on his next contract. While the Bulls value the big man, they didn't want to commit too much on an extension now in order to maintain as much flexibility as possible for next summer's free agency.
Chicago is actually in the driver's seat here. The fact that they have an option to match any team's offer sheet next summer means the risk of them losing Portis is completely manageable.
Then again, should Portis have a breakout year this season, his stock will definitely shoot up, making it more difficult and expensive for the Bulls to match an offer from a team that recognizes and is willing to shell out cash to acquire his services.
The Bulls have shown how important Portis is to their team after practically choosing him over Nikola Mirotic following their highly publicized physical altercation last summer. While it appears Portis may not be as quite important to the Bulls as he assumes because of the failed contract negotiations, the team has its reasons and will look to sign him next summer.
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