Getty Dennis Schroder (left) and Billy Donovan
It’s no secret that the Chicago Bulls, as much as anyone in the NBA, have been bitten by the injury bug this season. The team was already missing Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso, then over the weekend the Bulls got the news that Zach Lavine will have to see a specialist about his left knee.
The mounting injuries are why many speculated that the Bulls would make a move at the trade deadline. Then the deadline came and went with no trades by the Bulls. Despite no trades at the deadline, the Bulls could still add some help to their roster.
Buyout Market
A handful of the players who were traded at the deadline will eventually be bought out, which will create another market for the Bulls to pursue. Some even think the buyout market could land the team a player they were even willing to trade for.
“He is going to be one to watch,” an NBA source told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney ahead of a Facebook Live interview. “A lot of teams will be making their play for (Goran) PoDragic but the Bulls could make Schroder their priority all the way. It depends on whether they feel they need size or if they want that depth. They tried to trade for him at the deadline but Boston wanted that bigger contract they got with Theis.
“The thing to remember with Schroder is he had what was probably his best year with Billy (Donovan in 2019-20) in Oklahoma City as a sixth man. He was really good for him there, there is a comfort level. It might cut into how they use Coby White, but it is obviously something they wanted to do at the deadline either way.”
The point about Schroder and Donovan is a good one. Schroder finished second in 2019-20 in the sixth man award voting and had one of the best seasons of his career.
During that season averaged the second-most points of his career with 18.9 points per game. He also averaged 4 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. It was also Schroder’s most efficient season of his career, he had career bests in effective field goal percentage (53.4%), 2-point field goal percentage (51.3%), and 3-point field goal percentage (38.5%).
Potential Impact on the Bulls
If the Chicago Bulls were able to sign Schroder, he could definitely help the team, especially in the short term. With the team missing so many pieces in the backcourt Schroder could help lighten the load on young players like White and Ayo Dosunmu.
Schroder has always been a good, crafty scorer that could even play shooting guard for the Bulls in some lineups while they are without Lavine, Caruso, and Ball. If Donovan can get Schroder to return to close to the level he was playing at in Oklahoma City then he could be a huge get for the Bulls.
When it comes to Schroder the biggest decision the Bulls will have to make is if their backcourt or frontcourt needs more help. While the team’s backcourt is shorthanded, they do have White and Dosunmu playing good minutes. On the other hand, the Bulls frontcourt has only been getting consistent production from Nikola Vucevic and has been playing a very undersized Javonte Green at power forward.
The decision for the Bulls could simply come down to when the players they are missing could return from injury and the position they play.