Getty Kyle Anderson #1 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up
The Chicago Bulls need to be savvy on the free-agent market, says NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer. That could lead them to one of the slowest players in the NBA in Memphis Grizzlies free agent, Kyle Anderson.
After a swift exit from the playoffs, Bulls vice president of basketball operations, Arutras Karnisovas, is intent on building around the core.
With little in the way of trade or financial capital, however, every move is critical.
They have very clear deficiencies – three-point shooting, rim protection, and a big wing to help with opponents’ big wings. It is a role that is supposed to be filled by Patrick Williams. But the Bulls are still woefully thin on players such as Anderson that fit that mold.
A Productive Journeyman
Schaefer prefaces his comments on the “Bulls Talk Podcast” by saying this would be someone he would target, putting no such assumption on what the Bulls might do. But a lot of the choice is driven by the Bulls’ financial outlook.
“I’m mostly looking at mid-level guys. Guys between the $5 and 10 million salary slot, potentially…it’s not a great free agency class this year, to be honest. Especially the unrestricted market…Kyle Anderson, [he] might be a little bit more expensive than mid-level.”
Schaefer was not the only person to have Anderson on their shortlist of Bulls’ options. Johnson expressed his fondness for the former 30th-overall pick in 2014 by the San Antonio Spurs where Anderson spent the first four years of his career.
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He has spent the last four with the Grizzlies.
According to Johnson, the Anderson-Bulls connection might already have some early momentum behind it.
“I’m glad you mentioned my guy…I was told keep an eye on him at the trade deadline by somebody. Never heard anything after that….he, to me, would be a fantastic fit. He made $9.9 [million] last year. So, you’re right, he’s going to be looking for a raise.”
Anderson is coming off of a four-year, $37 million contract, per Spotrac.
Getting Anderson on the Bulls
Anderson is arguably the most versatile forward available on the unrestricted market. He has also been effective in his time with the Grizzlies, averaging 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 2021.
He shot a career-high 36% from beyond the arc that year before taking a step back all around this past season.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged just 7.6 points. But he did manage 5.3 boards, 2.7 dimes, and 1.1 steals despite going from starting 69 games a year ago to starting just 11 of his 69 appearances in 2021-22.
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He seems most likely to leave among the Grizzlies free agents, explained Spotrac’s Keith Smith in an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Evan Barnes.
Maybe it’s not this summer, because the market is so tight and he’s clearly important to the team. Given the growth you hope to see from Clarke and (rookie) Ziaire Williams…You just can’t lock in on a guy like Anderson, given the roster makeup as it is, the younger guys behind him and his age (28).
Can the Bulls’ similar offer with an increased role lure Anderson away this summer?
Bulls Bargain Hunting
Zach LaVine is currently the top unrestricted free agent and all indications are that the Bulls will indeed offer him the full max, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley. There had been some speculation at the NBA Draft Combine that they would not, per NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.
That likely leaves the Bulls looking at the $10.3 million mid-level exception as their best means of landing Anderson. If his market is as expected, that might not be enough.
As Schaefer and Smith both noted, this is a relatively thin crop of free agents pending decisions from the likes of Kyrie Irving and James Harden who both hold player options. Teams could have similar targets as the Bulls with hopes of maintaining flexibility for the 2023 free-agent class and mid-season trades.