Six days into the 2024 National Basketball Association playoffs, 16 teams are on the hunt for a shot at hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy as league champions. Although their 2023-24 campaigns are over, the other 14 clubs on the outside looking in are already seeking to improve next season.
One of those teams, the Chicago Bulls, finished 39-43 and lost in the second play-in game versus the Miami Heat for the second consecutive year. Since 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose was traded away in 2016, Chicago has had just one winning campaign and no playoff series victories in two appearances.
Despite their near decade of misfortune, the Bulls could make strides toward changing their losing ways next season. It begins by making 6-foot-9 forward Adama Sanogo a part of their regular lineup.
Sanogo, the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, concluded his rookie campaign as a regular starter with the NBA Gatorade League’s Windy City Bulls: Chicago’s affiliate. In 29 games, all but one of them starts, the 2023 Honorable Mention All-American averaged 22 points, 12.7 boards and 1.1 blocks.
Only G League Rookie of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe finished with more rebounds per game at 16.1 in 23 contests for the Indiana Mad Ants. Sanogo averaged those numbers playing 30.3 minutes per game, a 5.3-minute increase from his average playing time across three seasons with the UConn men’s basketball team.
Sanogo played fewer than 25 minutes in 12 out of his 39 games during his junior season, something that only happened once in the G League this year. The Bamako, Mali, native’s numbers in his first professional campaign resulted in an All-NBA G League Third Team selection.
It was not just in the G League where Sanogo shined this year, however. He averaged just four points and four rebounds in nine NBA games played, but the 6-foot-9 forward saved his best performance for the end of the regular season. In 35:05 against the Washington Wizards on April 12, the 22-year-old scored 22 points on 8-18 shooting with 20 rebounds (10 of each) for his first big-league double-double.
Sanogo’s signature NBA outing came two weeks after he had 29 points and 20 rebounds in the G League versus the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ affiliate. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama was the only other rookie in the association this season who had a 20-20 game; he did it twice. At 22 years old, the Mali native was the youngest player since former first overall pick Elton Brand in 2001 to have that performance for the six-time NBA champions.
Given the Bulls’ current roster situation, I would not be surprised if the two-time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award finalist is a starter on next season’s squad. Spotrac, a website listing contracts for every player in multiple leagues, does not have an athlete on the team beyond the Mali native who is a power forward. The only frontcourt player getting paid by Chicago is center Nikola Vucevic, who has two years left on a $60 million deal.
As for small forwards, some of whom can play the four, 2023 second-round draft pick Julian Phillips and seven-year veteran Torrey Craig are the only Bulls still under contract. Three-time All-NBA selection DeMar DeRozan, who started his career as a shooting guard, is an unrestricted free agent who recently received a two-year, $40 million offer from the team. Former fourth overall pick Patrick Williams primarily played power forward for Chicago last season, but he too is an unrestricted free agent.
It is possible that the Bulls may try to acquire a quality forward in the first few days of free agency in July; they have almost $130 million available in cap space. Forwards such as Tobias Harris and Pascal Siakam each got paid less than $40 million this past season. While highly unlikely, Chicago could pursue both veterans to address their frontcourt needs. Unlike what they did with DeRozan this week, I do not expect the Bulls to offer contracts with an annual value of over $40 million per year to either Harris or Siakam.
There is also the upcoming NBA Draft, in which Chicago currently holds the 11th overall pick. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman predicted on Monday that they could select Colorado’s Cody Williams, a forward who displays plus defense and was once projected to go first overall. If the Bulls end up drafting him in June, then I expect C. Williams to either start as a small forward to begin the season or be the backup power forward. While he could get minutes at the four during his rookie campaign, I feel like starting Sanogo at that spot next season is the right move.
All I have highlighted is dependent on Chicago giving the 22-year-old forward a qualifying offer in the offseason, however. Should the Bulls not give him that offer by Saturday, June 29, the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player will become a restricted free agent.
That means that Sanogo can sign an offer sheet with any other team in the league, which Chicago can to match. I would not be surprised if rival clubs handed out qualifying offers to the Honorable Mention All-American in that situation.
Outside of four seasons of All-NBA selection Carlos Boozer in the early 2010s, the Bulls have not had a true franchise power forward since the end of the Michael Jordan era in 1998. Among the three options I have explained, the Bulls’ best plan of action right now is to make Sanogo a starter.
The 2022-23 national champion working with Vucevic down low would create one of the fiercest frontcourts in the association. Pairing those two with Zach LaVine and Most Improved Player finalist Coby White will set the wheels in motion for a high-flying offense in the Windy City.
Chicago has the talent to compete for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, even if they have posted a losing record each of the past two years. Sanogo will not only alleviate some of the Bulls’ scoring struggles, but he may also be the missing piece that propels them back into NBA championship contention.
Play,and pay that man!!!