For the Chicago Bulls, Summer League provided a crucial opportunity. Obviously, their goal is to compete for the postseason next year after the Bulls were bounced in the Play-In Tournament this past season. However, they should still be looking to add young talent in an attempt to secure a brighter future in Chicago.
As things stand, the Bulls already have 13 players on their roster, but that does not include Ayo Dosunmu and does include Carlik Jones’ non-guaranteed contract. In addition, they have two two-way spots open, leaving them with four potential slots open heading into next year, depending on the way Dosunmu’s contract situation plays out.
With that in mind, here are three players from Chicago’s Summer League team who the Bulls should sign to the main roster next year.
3 Summer League players Bulls should sign to the main roster: Javon Freeman-Liberty
Summer League stats: 21.2 PTS, 4.6 REB, 4.4 AST, 49.3% FG, 46.2% 3PT
By far the best player on the Bulls Summer League team, Javon Freeman-Liberty proved that he is an NBA-caliber player. If Chicago doesn’t give him a contract, another team will.
Should Dosunmu leave in free agency, Freeman-Liberty would be a solid replacement, but regardless of that situation, they should bring him on board on a standard (ideally multi-year) deal.
3 Summer League players Bulls should sign to the main roster: Nate Darling
Summer League stats: 11.2 PTS, 3.2 REB, 1.8 AST, 35.1% FG, 32.4% 3PT
Despite his overall poor three-point shooting, Nate Darling is the three-point specialist that the Bulls desperately lack. His rough splits are more an indication of his shot quality rather than his skill.
On a Chicago team with more spacing, talent, and playmakers, Darling’s three-point shot quality would skyrocket, and he could be a great asset for the Bulls. Maybe he’s more of a two-way guy, but his skillset could be worthy of a standard deal.
3 Summer League players Bulls should sign to the main roster: Jontay Porter
Summer League stats: 5.4 PTS, 4.6 REB, 2.0 BLK, 42.3% FG, 40.0% 3PT
While he only played 13.4 minutes per contest, Jontay Porter showed a ton of promise when he was on the court. Not only was he able to nail his three-point attempts at a high clip, but his bog body allowed him to block some shots, too.
With the bigs already on the roster, signing Porter to a standard contract doesn’t make too much sense, but bringing him on board via a two-way deal to play for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate, would be a great idea.
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Story originally appeared on Lonzo Wire