NEWSLETTER
While the NBA offseason will not officially start until June, it still can’t hurt to familiarize ourselves with the Chicago Bulls’ summer outlook. The organization finds itself at quite the crossroads, and it’s not only because they disappointed fans with a second-straight Play-In Tournament exit.
The front office will have to address several big roster decisions very soon. To be sure, we’re going to have lots of conversations about this over the next handful of months, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to just lay the foundation first. Below is a list of the players under contract next season, as well as those who will have their fate decided in the offseason.
Chicago Bulls Contracts
Under Contract for 2024-25
All eyes will be on whether or not Zach LaVine’s salary is actually part of the equation next season. The chance of the Bulls pursuing a trade partner this offseason after failing to find one earlier this year is high. We have no reason to believe that LaVine’s interest in finding a new home has changed, and we can say the same about the front office’s desire to go in a new direction. If the Bulls are able to find an interested suitor to take on LaVine, their financial outlook moving forward changes drastically.
Unfortunately, whether or not we can trust them to do the right thing with that financial flexibility is anyone’s guess.
(h/t Spotrac for 2024-25 contract data)
Potential Restricted Free Agents
The Chicago Bulls will have to present Patrick Williams with a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent this offseason. This means opposing teams could have the ability to make a run at the 22-year-old wing and present him with an offer sheet. The Bulls – if they can’t come to terms on a deal with Williams during their initial negotiations – will have to match that deal within 48 hours in order to keep him.
For what it’s worth, my expectation would be that Williams is back with the team. While he’s had a rather slow start to his career, the Bulls can’t risk losing a young player with starting-level potential. Coby White just demonstrated how patience can be a virtue, and Williams has shown enough flashes to justify himself a new deal. How much will he make? Well, that’s a question for another day. What I’ll say for now is that his season-ending foot injury will likely work in the Bulls’ favor during negotiations.
Unrestricted Free Agents
DeMar DeRozan’s free agency will be the biggest storyline of the offseason. The forward has played outstanding basketball during his tenure with the team, and he will want to be handsomely compensated for that. How handsomely compensated, you ask? The Bulls have reportedly already offered him a two-year deal worth roughly $80 million, but it’s apparently led to nothing.
Anyway, we’re going to talk A LOT about DeRozan and unrestricted free agency this offseason, so I’m going to save a more comprehensive discussion for a later day. Until then …
Player Options
Lonzo Ball’s player option remains the greatest eyesore in the Chicago Bulls’ books. Despite not playing in an NBA game since January of 2022, Ball is owed a staggering $21.4 million next season. The Bulls do have the option this summer to apply for a career-ending-injury provision, which would require a doctor to deem Ball incapable of returning to the NBA. If this occurred, the league would write off the remaining $21.4 million to Ball (he would obviously still receive the money, but it wouldn’t go against the Bulls’ cap sheet).
The chances of the Bulls actually going down this road feel pretty thin. Not to mention, we’ve actually heard about Ball making some outcourt progress as of late. Should the expectation be that he returns and plays at a level we’re all familiar with? Absolutely not. The long-term trajectory of his career is a major question. But if he can return at all, a doctor isn’t going to give the Bulls a thumbs up anyway.
As for Craig, it’s hard to decide what direction he’ll choose this summer. He’s a talented veteran with loads of playoff experience, so I can easily see a contending team showing interest in his 3-and-D skillset. He also signed with Chicago for the league minimum, which means it should be pretty easy for him to find that cash elsewhere. But the Bulls still need what he can offer and the path to playing time should be there. If Craig values that more than taking a swing for a ring, he might just stay put for another year.
Partially-guaranteed
Technically, the Bulls could only pay Caruso $3.0 million next season, but we all know they’re going to fully guarantee his deal. He’s on one of the most valuable contracts in the NBA.
Non-guaranteed
By converting Onuralp Bitim to a standard NBA contract, the sharpshooter is now on the cap sheet for next season. However, the Chicago Bulls do have a pretty easy out considering it’s a non-guaranteed deal. A total of $350,000 would be given to Bitim on opening night, while the remainder of his salary would become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10. In other words, the Bulls can get rid of him either before the season tips off or before 2025 to avoid paying the majority of his deal.
