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It’s one of the worst-kept secrets in the entire NBA; the Chicago Bulls‘ need and intention to upgrade at point guard this offseason.
Head coach Billy Donovan alternated between Coby White and Tomas Satorasky at the starting spot this season, but neither are viable considered candidates for that role next season.
With Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine in house, there’s an increased pressure for the Bulls to win now.
Finding a cornerstone talent at the game’s most important position will be mandatory in that pursuit.
Among the players set to be available this summer, Chicago’s continually being tied to Los Angeles Lakers starter and eight-year veteran guard Dennis Schroder.
He finished the regular season averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
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Schroder to Chicago?
In his latest reporting for The Athletic, Shams Charania linked the Chicago Bulls, among others, to Dennis Schroder:
Either you bring him back or you use him in a sign and trade. I expect the Lakers to be open to either possibility. Those are open for discussion. You’ll have multiple teams, I’m told, involved with the Dennis Schroder sweepstakes. I’ll look at the Bulls, I’ll look at the Knicks, I’ll look at the Raptors, so that’s still a very fluid situation.
The 27-year old guard is headed for unrestricted free agency after turning down a four-year, $84-million extension.
But he’s no longer expected to garner a deal in that range after a string of disappointing postseason performances.
It’s hard to see what the Bulls could offer for Schroder that would interest the Lakers, though. Would a swap involving Lauri Markkanen work for both sides?
Los Angeles was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in both the regular season and the playoffs, and the Bulls’ forward is headed for restricted free agency after shooting 40 percent from three.
The market for Markkanen is one of the more unknown variables Chicago’s facing this summer. Even after not extending him or trading him at the deadline, they still seem against letting him walk for nothing.
Or the Bulls could offer the Lakers some form of draft compensation. Despite sending two first-round picks to the Orlando Magic for Vucevic, they’ve still got all of their first-round picks from 2024 to 2027.
Expect the Bulls to First Look at Lonzo Ball
Dennis Schroder is certainly a candidate to watch for the Chicago Bulls, but look for the team to first take a final swing at New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball.
It was widely reported that they made attempts at a trade for the 23-year old before the trade deadline, and as recently as two months ago, The Athletic’s Sam Amick hinted that they will do so again:
Heading into the deadline, there was a chance New Orleans could have attached one of those veteran deals in a Ball-centric trade to aid its financial landscape. Instead, the Pelicans will have to wait and see what the market bears for Ball before deciding whether to match. Chicago, Atlanta, Golden State, the Clippers and the Knicks are teams that showed interest in the past and will likely do so again.
Ball is coming off of a fourth season where he averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.
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