Bulls should sign this freakish big man instead of splurging on Jalen Duren

The Chicago Bulls are slated to have a wealth of cap space heading into the NBA offseason, which means they could be major players in free agency.

The Bulls won just 31 games this past year and have posted only one winning season over the last decade, so they need all of the help they can get. It should not, however, come in the form of Jalen Duren.

Duren is viewed as one of the top upcoming free agents after averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in 2025-26, but when you look past those traditional stats, you’ll see that Duren may not be worth a $184 million max contract.

He is very limited offensively, he isn’t the best defender (particularly when it comes to rim protection) and he has had his fair share of struggles in the playoffs.

For a Chicago squad that absolutely has to get it right this summer, splurging on Duren may not be the wisest course of action. The good news is that there will be several other intriguing big men available on the open market, and one in particular seems like a much better fit than Duren: Mitchell Robinson.

Chicago Bulls should pursue Mitchell Robinson in free agency

Look, I get it: Robinson is one of the most injury-prone players in the league, and him playing 60 games for the New York Knicks this season was actually a lot. But his lack of durability will make him infinitely cheaper than Duren, and when he is on the floor, an argument can be made that he is more effective.

Unlike Duren, Robinson is a fantastic rim protector, as he owns a lifetime average of 1.7 blocks over 23.6 minutes per game. That’s good for an average of 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes, and it’s also worth noting that Robinson can move his feet and defend in space.

No, Robinson doesn’t have an offensive repertoire, but neither does Duren.

Essentially, Robinson is a far cheaper version of Duren with significantly better defense. The only issue is that there is no guarantee he is going to be healthy, but that will be reflected in the contract he receives.

The 28-year-old averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 19.6 minutes a night this season. Those rebounding numbers are ridiculous (he averaged 22.2 boards per 100 possession) and are exactly what the Bulls need.

When Robinson is on the floor, he’s an athletic freak capable of changing the complexion of a game. And he would be very affordable.

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