Bold Bulls Predictions for Top 2024 NBA Offseason Signings, Trades

The Chicago Bulls took an overdue pivot during the 2024 NBA offseason.

This wasn't quite a top-to-bottom teardown, but it was at least a move toward a future this franchise should've been prioritizing for a while now.

This mindset shift will deliver dividends down the line, but how will it impact this season's squad? To help answer that question, we're attaching bold predictions to three of Chicago's most significant signings and trade acquisitions.

Alex Caruso was one of the most coveted trade chips on the market. That Chicago flipped him in a one-for-one swap with Josh Giddey speaks volumes about how it views the 6'8" playmaker.

Now, one can argue about whether the Bulls got enough value in the trade, but they obviously felt they did. And they'll give Giddey every opportunity to prove them right.

His minutes and touches should skyrocket in the Windy City, and when they do, the rest of his stat sheet should follow suit. That puts some interesting possibilities on the table for someone who averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists while filling a support role over three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He has his limitations as a player, but filling out a stat line isn't one of them. He tied for the eighth-most triple-doubles this past season and has held a top-10 ranking in each of his three NBA campaigns. With the type of opportunity he's about to receive, though, look for him to launch himself into the category's top three.

With a non-spacer like Giddey running point, the Bulls will want some three-point shooting to come from their center spot. They'll also seek out some paint protection behind him on the defensive end.

Incumbent starter Nikola Vučević isn't a great source of either one. He has been a moderately effective shooter at times, but he has converted fewer than 32 percent of his long-range looks in two of the past three seasons. And he's never been much of a shot-blocker, averaging fewer than a block per outing in four of the previous five campaigns.

Maybe that's why this front office deemed Jalen Smith worthy of a three-year, $27 million investment.

The former lottery pick made massive strides as a net-shredder this past season by splashing 61 triples at a 42.4 percent clip. He also averaged better than a block per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference, which he has in each of his four NBA seasons. He is just a better fit at the 5 for this roster than Vučević, and it's possible the latter doesn't even need to be traded for the former to snatch his spot in the starting lineup.

The Bulls are big fans of Patrick Williams—or of the idea of the player he could become, at least.

That was obvious four years ago when they made him the fourth overall pick of the 2020 draft. The message was communicated again this offseason when they signed him to a five-year, $90 million pact.

What happens, though, if Williams continues to show little to no discernible growth in his game? He arrived as a developmental project—or, if you wanted to be super optimistic, a potential Kawhi Leonard clone—and essentially hasn't changed since. He is a capable three-and-D wing, only he doesn't shoot threes with much volume and isn't an impact defender.

If Williams can't find ways to elevate, at what point does Chicago rethink its commitment to him? This season would be hasty, but if it's obvious early that he'll continue underwhelm with his aggressiveness and fail to consistently make his presence felt, don't be surprised if his name starts popping up in trade talks.