Brook Lopez could answer a lot of the Bulls’ problems.
The Chicago Bulls have long been a team that lacked any credible three-point shooting threats and rim protection. With the offseason in full bloom, the team’s decision-makers are plotting their next moves to try and get the squad back on the winning track next season. One move that they could greatly benefit from is signing free agent big man Brook Lopez.
Elite defense and three-point shooting
Talk about hitting two birds with one stone! Lopez, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.9 points and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 37.4% from three-point range last season, would bring both elite defense and three-point shooting to the Bulls’ frontcourt. The 7’0″ former All-Star also displayed an ability to score in the post and stretch the floor with his range, which would help open up lanes for the Bulls’ prolific wingmen, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
What would it take?
Prying Lopez away from the Bucks, though, is an entirely different story. Although Lopez is an unrestricted free agent, the 35-year-old has established himself as part of the core of a Bucks squad that expects to contend for an NBA title for the next few years and it may take quite the miracle—or a pretty sizable offer—to get Lopez to sign with another team.
Perhaps sending Milwaukee an All-Star like DeRozan could work, or offering a package that includes young, promising players would help. Whatever the case may be, the Bulls will need to act fast if they want to bring Lopez’s veteran leadership and three-point shooting approach to Chicago.
