The Chicago Bulls?are heading into a pivotal season. The $4.1 billion worth NBA franchise is filled with stars and role players full of potential. Despite failing to qualify for the playoffs last season, they solidified victories over contending teams like Celtics, Bucks, Nuggets and Warriors. At the same time, their eventual crumble against teams like Orlando Magic, Wizards and Rockets constantly put their roster in a confusing spot. Despite stars like DeMar DeRozan,?Zach Lavine, and Alex Caruso on the team, the roster has not been complete due to the abscence of their all-star floor general.

Bulls acquired Lonzo Ball for his ball-handling prowess and the ability to dish dimes. In the 35 games he played during the 2021-22 season, he averaged 13 points, 5.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds, along with 1.8 steals. Unfortunately, Lonzo’s journey with the Bulls encountered a speed bump when he suffered a knee injury. Since then, the UCLA alma-mater hasn’t been able to battle on the court for them.

NBA loophole turning Lonzo’s setback to gains?

Before the 2023 NBA Drafts, Arturas Karnisovas announced that Lonzo is projected to sit out the remainder of the coming season. At the beginning of this month,?the Bulls applied for a disabled player exception?to the NBA. In a recent update, the NBA evaluated their requests and accepted their plea.

The Bulls are now awarded a $10.2 million disabled player exception, giving them financial flexibility. Along with that, The DPE (Disabled Player Exception) can be used to do different things like signing players, accepting players through trades (like a Traded Player Exception), or getting a player who has been put on waivers. Upon the announcement, fans from all over the globe reacted with fury.

There are some rules around a Disabled Player Exception. First, the contract can only be for the season. In the Bulls’ situation, a one-year deal for the 2023-24 season. Second, it can only be used to sign or trade for one player at a time.

Ball has gone though multiple cartilage transplants now. The March 2023 surgery was his third in less than 16 months.

The hype around Lonzo Ball led him to begin his career with the Lakers. Despite his questionable shooting stints, his passing wizardry was soon compared to Magic Johnson.

The bulls held the No.1 spot in the eastern conference earlier in the 2021-22 season. Ahead of losing their point guard, they ended up with 6th seed and lost to the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Bulls failed to qualify for the playoffs.

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The Bulls can benefit from having extra millions available. Right now, Chicago is $9 million below the luxury tax threshold.

Who can Bulls sign?

Despite the struggle to reach the playoffs, the Bulls have nearly $90 million invested in their core of DeRozan, Vucevic and LaVine. On top of that, they have just extended their contract with the centre. With extra monetary assets in hand, they can opt for a player that can help them make a change.

Bulls can opt for the 6’7″ forward Kelly Oubre Junior. Despite injuries, he delivered well offensively and achieved personal bests in points and steals per game. He has guard-like skills that the Bulls lost in Lonzo. On the other hand, he has demonstrated the capacity to guard various positions on the court.

The bulls can skip the wings and use the cash for a more defensive player in Christian Wood. He is still a free agent and?has not been re-signed by Mavs. There have been rumours that contending teams like the Lakers are interested in acquiring Wood. He is a highly skilled big man with untapped potential. Despite that, he remains a capable player who can make valuable contributions on offense.

Another big-man can be Bol Bol, who was recently waived. The Bulls can carve Bol into the player they need to win. He can also run the floor, stretch offense, defend post-ups, and hit threes. All he needs is the right organization and culture.

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Considering these options and the NBA Free Agency, which player(s) do you think would be the best fit for the Bulls to enhance their chances of playoffs success?