The Chicago Bulls will need to make a number of roster tweaks this summer if they hope to make the playoffs next year. They were eliminated in the play-in tournament this past season, but Arturas Karnisovas seems intent on making the current core work.
For that to happen, he will need to seriously adjust the roster around Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic or next year will bring more of the same. One of the top priorities should be adding a backup big man who can play a different role than the one Vucevic and Andre Drummond play.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, New Orleans Pelicans big man Jaxson Hayes could be a sleeper target for the Bulls in free agency this summer as they look to add more athleticism.
“Frontcourt athleticism should be a priority for Chicago this summer,” Buckley wrote. “Jaxson Hayes hasn’t established much during his first four seasons, which is why he might be available for cheap, but the fact that he’s one of the Association’s more athletically gifted bigs is obvious.”
Hayes’ mobility even makes him a potential candidate to play some power forward minutes, per Buckley.
“Hayes is so athletic that he can shift down to the 4 spot and hang with stretch forwards without any issues,” Buckley wrote. “He has even dabbled in distance shooting at times (20 3s on 35.1% shooting in 2021-22), which could make it even easier to play him alongside another big without sacrificing spacing or mobility.”
If the Bulls can pry Hayes from the Pelicans for a reasonable price, he could be a nice project for them.
