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The Chicago Bulls were eliminated in five games in their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Chicago had a solid offseason, but injuries kept them from reaching their full potential.
It was still a successful season for the Bulls, as they made their first playoff appearance since 2017. While fans may be disappointed about the outcome, the Bulls have a foundation to build on for next season.
Free agency will be vital to upgrading the roster around their core. The Bulls have a core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic. Free agency should be utilized to find players that can fit around them and close the gap between them and teams like the Bucks.
LaVine is set to be a free agent, and bringing him back will be the number one priority for Chicago.
With that said, here are three early targets for the Bulls in the 2022 NBA free agency.
Bulls 2022 Free Agency Targets
3. Gary Harris
Chicago could use some extra defense and shooting around the rest of the roster. Signing a guy like Gary Harris fills both of those needs, giving them much-needed depth off the bench. In 61 games for the Orlando Magic this season, Harris averaged 11.1 points per game while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three.
Although Harris is not an elite wing, he could be extremely valuable coming off the bench.
2. Robert Covington
Robert Covington is another player that would help Chicago on the defensive end of the floor. The Bulls struggled to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo in the playoffs and other elite forwards throughout the season. Signing him would give them another viable option other than Patrick Williams to defend top-tier forwards.
This past season, he averaged 8.5 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds. Covington shot 42 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from downtown. The veteran would be a welcomed addition to the group and likely wouldn't cost a ton.
1. Bobby Portis
While Bulls fans likely don't like Bobby Portis right now, as he was a big contributor in eliminating them, he would be a good pickup. Portis is a stretch big that can be a phenomenal backup center for Chicago.
Portis has been a key part of the Bucks roster over the past two seasons, including thriving this season when Brook Lopez was out. He is one of the best role players in the NBA and would solidify the Bulls' rotation.
Portis averaged 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from behind the arc. He is a double-double machine and can space the floor around players like DeRozan and LaVine. In the elimination game, the Bucks' defense would double team DeRozan, forcing him to pass out to his teammates. Adding a knockdown shooter at center opens up the offense so much, as the opposing team's center will be forced to play help defense when they are attacking the rim. This will leave Portis open, who can hit shots at an elite clip.
Chicago has an important offseason ahead to get their roster ready to make a deep playoff run. Although DeRozan and LaVine aren't superstars like Antetokoumpo or Joel Embiid in the East, but with they can compete for a championship with the right pieces around them.
Green, Covington, and Portis would be excellent additions to round out the Bulls roster heading into the 2022-23 season.
