Off season Recap

General Manager Gar Forman got off to an aggressive start this offseason when he traded Derrick Rose and Justin Holiday to the New York Knicks for point guard Jerian Grant and center Robin Lopez. This move seemed to suggest the Bulls were in a rebuilding mode and would weaken the roster so that a higher draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft would be more attainable.

There were rumors that the Bulls might swap Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves on draft night for the 5th pick. However, no such deal was made and the Bulls selected versatile wing Denzel Valentine with the 14th pick. They then selected German forward Paul Zipser in the 2nd round. Entering the free agent period, Forman insisted the Bulls were going to “retool” by signing quality players to help them win instead of rebuilding, and that is exactly what he did. They first signed veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, the assist leader in the NBA last season, to a two-year deal.

At the end of free agency, they made another big move by signing guard Dwyane Wade, a Chicago native, to a two-year deal as well. Both guards are expected to start and Forman thinks these moves can help the Bulls win a championship this season. The Bulls were not able to re-sign Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, E’twaun Moore, and Aaron Brooks, and they traded Mike Dunleavy to create cap space for Wade. In the preseason, they traded forward Tony Snell to the Bucks for the 2014 Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams. Overall, the Bulls brought in eight new players, and three new projected starters, this offseason.