One door closes and another opens. In the aftermath of acquiring Isaac Okoro from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, the Chicago Bulls are suddenly flush with wings. Thus, with the infusion of wings, it's unlikely the Bulls will target additional forward reinforcements in free agency. Pursuing wings such as Jonathan Kuminga and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is now likely off the table.
Instead, a return of one of the Bulls' few unrestricted free agents now seems plausible. That would be reserve point guard Tre Jones, who came to the Windy City midseason as part of the Zach LaVine trade.
After falling out of favor in San Antonio, Jones came to life in Chicago. He averaged merely 4.4 points in 16.1 minutes per game for the Spurs before the trade. Upon landing with the Bulls, Jones totaled 11.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 25.3 minutes per contest, including nine starts. Perhaps most importantly, Jones converted 57.2 percent of his field goals, 50.0 percent of his threes, and averaged less than a turnover per game.
However, Jones' bounce-back second half of the season was cut short because of a midfoot sprain. Jones was injured with mere minutes to go in a 128-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. The injury forced him to miss the final 12 games of the regular season and Chicago's Play-In loss to the Miami Heat. Still, in 18 games with the Bulls, he proved to be a worthwhile contributor.
Tre Jones' return to Chicago now feels likely following a flurry of moves
Although not long ago, despite Jones' effectiveness, it appeared as if his time in Chicago was over, especially following Jevon Carter's decision to exercise his $6.8 million player option. Heading into the offseason, the Bulls were well-stocked with guards, including Carter, Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Coby White, and soon-to-be re-signed Josh Giddey.
All at once, a reserve floor general makes for a compelling free agent addition now that Ball is jettisoned, and Dosunmu might be soon to follow. Chicago rosters two primary ball-handlers, Giddey (barring an unforeseen decision to sign elsewhere) and White. Yet, both guards are in starting roles. Therefore, a reserve to man the second unit is essential.
While Dosunmu is a more-than-capable reserve point guard, he's versatile enough to spend time at shooting guard and even moonlight as a small forward. Nonetheless, as briefly mentioned, Dosunmu might be on the chopping block according to Chicago Sport Network's K.C. Johnson.
Dosunmu is extremely valuable, but he'll play next season on an expiring, $7 million pact. It's expected the 6-foot-5 combo guard will command a sizable raise—something the Bulls might not want to offer, considering the more-established Coby White is also playing next season on the last year of a discounted salary.
The door has abruptly opened for Jones to make his return to Chicago. A week after it appeared improbable for Jones to make his return, the tides have turned. ESPN's Bobby Marks projected a two-year, $18 million contract is a reasonable rate for the Bulls to sign the 25-year-old point guard.