The free agency rumors haven't been pleasant so far for the Bulls. First, rumblings emerged that the Bulls might lose the centerpiece of the Jimmy Butler trade after just 24 games. Then, the New York Times connected the Bulls to one of the biggest clown shows in the league. Oof.
The most recent rumor, however, could actually be a sensible move for the Bulls. If Zach LaVine's market does end up pricing him out of Chicago, Rodney Hood would be a nice replacement.
The 25-year-old wing will be a restricted free agent, and it seems unlikely that the Cavaliers will retain him given the strange half-season he spent there, which included an extensive benching in the postseason. The Bulls have been linked to Hood before, and even though it wouldn't be a splashy signing, Hood's the type of player you want on a winning team in today's NBA. He's got size, length, a jumpshot and he can play D. Those tools give him a chance to be a top-five player on a contender. Is that ideal considering the Bulls are heavily invested in two players, Kris Dunn and Wendell Carter Jr., who profile as guys whose ceilings are as the 4th or 5th best players on a contender? No it's not! But it's probably better to pay a guy like Hood $10M a year than to pay LaVine more than double that amount. Cap space is incredibly valuable to a rebuilding team, better to save now and spend later than to spend big on LaVine and cross your fingers.
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