Getty Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said he will look to shake up the roster with trades and free agency on the table.
How he gets creative remains to be seen.
They have had difficulty in their previous efforts to trade Zach LaVine and have a limited number of players on mid-level contracts. Other teams will also have an impact, and the Golden State Warriors as a possible beacon.
“Chicago is going to need a table setter,” ESPN’s Chris Herring wrote on May 28. “Who better to do that than [Chris] Paul, who, even as he nears the age of 40, is still a solid offensive player.
“He wouldn’t be a long-term answer for the Bulls, who have a ton of questions to answer about their roster at large. … But giving them stability at guard will be a plus for a team that abruptly learned just how much good point guard play matters. Having Paul would make them better, whether it’s as a starter or off the bench.”
CP3 put up 14 PTS, 6 REB, and 9 AST in his Warriors debut tonight 👀
Paul averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds.
He also shot 37.1% from beyond the arc and still displayed stout defense last season. However, logged fewer than 60 games for the second straight season and made fewer appearances than the previous campaign for the third year in a row.
The veteran is going into the final year of a four-year, $120 million contract. Golden State has until June 28 to decide on whether or not to cut Paul loose.
That is when his $30 million salary goes from non-guaranteed to fully guaranteed.
Chris Paul Has Ties to Bulls Roster
Paul wouldn’t exactly be stepping into unfamiliar territory if he joined the Bulls in free agency. The 19-year veteran has played for six different franchises in his career, including the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan coached Paul with the Thunder in 2019-20.
“He’s been a great leader. He’s a team guy. He’s willing to sacrifice. He’s a calming force,” Donovan said of Paul, per Daily Thunder’s Brandon Rahbar in 2020.
There were questions about Donovan connecting with star players. But Paul praised his time.
Paul has an even closer relationship with Coby White, with the Bulls guard a product of the veteran’s AAU team.
“I started playing for his AAU team when I was 16, so that’s when I kind of got to know him,” White said on “All Access: The Coby White Episode” in December 2023. “Since then he’s always took me under his wing.”
Bulls Could Look to Recreate DeMar DeRozan Magic With Chris Paul
The Bulls have been down the road of aging potential castoff, inking DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $81.9 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade in 2021. DeRozan has lived up to that pact, and he could be in line for a raise amid mutual interest in his return.
Nothing has come to fruition. But adding Paul could help. He and DeRozan have trained together in the past.
DeRozan even helped out at one of Paul’s youth camps in 2023.
DeMar DeRozan – tough cover for college players to handle at the Chris Paul Elite guard camp.
DeRozan has also had a positive influence on the Bulls’ younger players. Paul could have a similar impact, having done so in previous stops. The most notable among those is arguably alongside another scoring guard like White in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC.
The Bulls are eyeing changes to the roster. A move for Paul if he reaches free agency could have just as much of an impact as a larger move if not more.