With the top priority of the summer taken care of (Jimmy Butler re-signed), the Chicago Bulls front office can now move on to their next two main issues.
Chicago Bulls Offseason Team Needs:
1. Lock-up Butler: Jimmy Butler is about to get PAID. The former Marquette standout turned down an extension offer from the Bulls last offseason, and it was a brilliant move since he is coming off a career year. Butler should be coveted by most teams looking for a young star on both ends of the floor. Chicago holds the upper hand though since they have the ability to match any offer sheet Butler signs this summer. It will likely cost Chicago a max deal, which would jeopardize the team’s luxury-tax situation in the future, but it would be well worth the investment. Butler could also bet on himself once again and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason when the salary cap is expected to drastically increase.
2. Backup Point Guard: With Derrick Rose’s ongoing injury issues, the Bulls need to find a more than capable backup point guard since Aaron Brooks is a free agent and Kirk Hinrich (who decided to pick up his player option) is nothing more than a role player at this point of his career. If Brooks is not re-signed, a replacement must come at a bargain since Chicago doesn’t have much flexibility in free agency.
3. A Shooter: With Mike Dunleavy a free agent, the Bulls should be looking to add another shooter in case the former Dukie signs elsewhere. Doug McDermott could help fill that void, and Nikola Mirotic should step into a bigger role, but finding another shooter, especially with Fred Hoiberg now calling the shots, is a must.
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Chicago Bulls 2015-16 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Joakim Noah
PF: Pau Gasol/Taj Gibson
SF: Nikola Mirotic/Doug McDermott
SG: *Jimmy Butler/Tony Snell
PG: Derrick Rose/^Kirk Hinrich
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David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.