Two premiere point guards with a combined two Finals appearances, 13 All-Star nominees, and 11 All-NBA selections are set to hit the market this off-season after parting ways with their respective franchises. Fred VanVleet has declined his 22.8 million dollar player option for the 2023-24' season, and Chris Paul has been informed he will be waived by the Phoenix Suns, according to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes. While each sits at different career stages, either option would instantly solve one of the Bulls' most significant positional gaps of last season at point guard. Ranking last in the league in three-point attempts as a team each of the last two years, both players would manufacture more looks from beyond the three-point arc individually and for their surrounding casts. How realistic are both options and what would the 2023-24' Chicago Bulls look like following their addition?
CP3 To The Windy City
The 'Point God' Chris Paul is well past his prime, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute to championship basketball. Having just been in the Finals a year ago, the 38-year-old veteran has averaged a double-double seven times throughout his 18-year career, his latest being in 2021-22'. His three-point numbers last year would also place him as the second-best shooter on the Bulls efficiency-wise and the third-best shooter from a volume standpoint. Coupled with his 9.5 assists per game career average, the three-point looks would skyrocket for Chicago and dig them out of the depths of the NBA ranks.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns will first be "actively engaged in trade conversations I'm told around the league," before releasing their starting point guard. Currently in a win-now stage with defending being their glaring weakness, the Bulls could offer several wing defenders, such as Alex Caruso or Javonte Green in a swap for the former fourth overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft. The issue with any trade to the Bulls would be the salary situation, as Paul is guaranteed nearly 16 million dollars and they've got little to no cap space to operate with. Throwing in a salary dump of Lonzo Ball or someone similar might be necessary in a trade scenario. Best case for Chicago would be to wait for Paul to hit the open market, and lure his services to the franchise with his ex-coach Billy Donovan at the healm.
VanVleet & DeRozan Reunion
Perhaps the biggest free agent on the market right now is Fred VanVleet, having declined his player option with the Toronto Raptors for this upcoming season he is set to hit free agency this summer. Chicago doesn't have much wiggle room when it comes to contract negotiations, but with some manuevering of cap space, letting Nikola Vucevic walk, and releasing a few salary dumps it may just be possible. A sign and trade swap of Vucevic and VanVleet may be plausible as well, as thier center Jakob Poeltl is an unrestricted free-agent and they'll need to fill the position. The case for the 2019 NBA Champion VanVleet joining the Bulls is two-pronged, he's an Illinois kid and he spent two seasons with DeMar DeRozan. He played out his high school basketball career in Illinois, and has spent his entire professional career north of the border with the Toronto Raptors.
Like Paul, VanVleet would be near the best on the Chicago Bulls in both quantity and quality of three-point shooting with his marks of over 37% from deep and more than six attempts per game over his career. His 7.2 assists per contest last season would also be the best mark on the Bulls, adding a legitimate playmaker to their offensive attack. While he declined his lucrative 22.8 million dollar option, it's still estimated he'll be inked for north of 25 million dollars long term with today's spending rate on All-Star caliber guards. Chicago's 'big-three' would shift from Vucevic to VanVleet as they could not afford both players. At the center position, the Bulls' front office would need to turn to Poeltl, Naz Reid, Christian Wood, or possibly DeAndre Ayton as new suitors in this scenario.
Who do you want to see orchestrating the offense in 2023, a Donovan and Paul reunion? A VanVleet and DeRozan backcourt for a second stint? Comment below!
