Bulls already linked to experienced marksman in NBA free agency

The Chicago Bulls certainly had an exciting first round of the NBA Draft on Tuesday night, snatching Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick and then circling back around to nab Dailyn Swain at No. 15.

It was certainly a good start for the rebuilding Bulls, who have a new top executive in Bryson Graham, a new head coach in Tiago Splitter and also just swung a trade to acquire big man Nic Claxton for virtually nothing just before the draft.

Chicago still has a long way to go, though, and with expansive cap room at its disposal heading into the summer, it is expected to be a major player in free agency.

The Bulls have needs up and down the roster, and while they almost certainly won’t be able to fill all of their holes in one fell swoop this offseason, they can certainly get a nice head start on their rebuild in the coming weeks.

One particular area in which Chicago could definitely stand to improve is perimeter shooting, as it ranked just 19th in the NBA in three-point percentage this past season. On that note, Morris Bankston of Pippen Ain’t Easy has zeroed in on a potential solution: Tim Hardaway Jr.

Chicago Bulls linked to Tim Hardaway Jr. in NBA free agency

Hardaway will be one of the top marksmen available once free agency opens next week, and he is coming off of a terrific season with the Denver Nuggets in which he played in 80 games and averaged 13.5 points over 26.6 minutes a night on 44.7/40.7/81.1 shooting splits.

The 34-year-old had bounced around a bit since entering the league with the New York Knicks back in the 2013-14 campaign. He has had two separate stints with the Knicks while also playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons before arriving in Denver last year.

Hardaway has averaged 13.7 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from downtown for his career, so his lifetime efficiency (55.7 percent TS) isn’t great. You also do have to wonder how much his 2025-26 numbers were inflated by the presence of Nikola Jokic.

But if the Bulls are simply looking for affordable options to bolster their outside shooting, then Hardaway could absolutely represent a fine target for Chicago.

Hardaway signed a veteran’s minimum deal with the Nuggets last summer, but he seems likely to get a bit more than that on the open market this offseason. We’ll see if the Bulls are willing to pay up for the University of Michigan product.

The post Bulls already linked to experienced marksman in NBA free agency appeared first on ChiCitySports.