Getty Images Billy Donovan
The Chicago Bulls dropped game one of their first-round playoff matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks despite a hard-fought effort on the defensive end. While the Bulls played well on the defensive they just couldn’t buy a bucket in their 93-86 loss.
It’s no secret that the Bulls struggled after the calendar turned to 2022. Chicago went through a laundry list of injuries that kept Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Derrick Jones Jr. out for extended stretches. All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine has also been playing with an injured knee.
The Bulls have also struggled from a lack of interior size and defense. With the struggles they’ve had, many have been looking ahead to what the Bulls might do this summer.
A Huge Summer
The Bulls’ turnaround this season was largely a byproduct of the moves the team made last summer. Chicago added DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso who were huge acquisitions for the team. The Bulls were also able to land rookie Ayo Dosunmu with the 38th pick in the draft.
While last summer was huge for the Bulls, the team will need to be active again this summer if they want to take the next step forward. Chicago will need to continue to improve the roster if they want to become a real contender.
In a new article from Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, he names one player that each team should sign in the 2022 free agency class. For the Bulls, Hughes says the player that would make a lot of sense is the Warriors’ Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Though he fell out of the Golden State Warriors rotation as 2021-22 wore on, Juan Toscano-Anderson could give Chicago even more defensive punch and offensive connectivity. All he does is hustle, defend and pass. Even when he screws up in one of those areas, he immediately fixes it in another.
Bad pass? How about a chase-down block?
At 6’6″, JTA can guard all five positions and play up top as an initiator on offense. The Bulls might prefer a splashier signing, but Toscano-Anderson would amplify the qualities that produced the best stretches of their season.
Hughes makes several good points about Toscano-Anderson. He would certainly help the Bulls on the defensive end of the floor and provide the team with some needed wing depth. Another benefit of Toscano-Anderson is he’ll be able to help on a team-friendly contract.
Other Needs
The Bulls will have to address multiple needs this summer. Toscano-Anderson will help them in terms of wing depth, but they still have other needs. The Bulls also need a rim protector and someone that can provide more depth on the interior.
Chicago also might look for another scorer to help take some of the load off of DeRozan and LaVine. The Bulls will have options this summer to address these needs.
The Bulls have the 18th pick in the draft and also have young players like Coby White and Patrick Williams that will garner trade interest. How the team will address their needs remains to be seen, but the good news is they’ve got options.