Should Bulls make a play for Lonnie Walker IV? |
It's no secret that this offseason has been frustrating for the Chicago Bulls. Not only did they lose Demar DeRozan in a sign and trade, but after several trade offers fell through, the team was also forced to keep both Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic on this roster. That means that, heading into the season, the Bulls had minimal funds and were forced to make the most of those funds.
Retaining guys like Torey Craig and resigning Patrick Williams was surprising as was trading away Alex Caruso. The Bulls did receive a solid player in Josh Giddey as part of that Caruso deal, so they managed to get something back, but with no picks joining that deal, it is one that comes as a missed opportunity. The Bulls then drafted Matas Buzelis in the first round and now appear to have Lonzo Ball on track to play in his first game since 2021 as things are starting to look up for this team. However, there are still some holes left to fill on this roster, and the biggest glaring need still falls on their outside shooting, which the Bulls have failed to address for years. Knowing that a guy like Lonnie Walker the IV could be an ideal fit in Chicago as the 25-year-old former Brooklyn Nets Guard is still a free agent and remains on the open market. Adding Walker isn't what most would call a big move, but it is a big move when you look at the needs of this team and the one specific area he can fill. As has been the case for the past few seasons, shot-making should've been the focus for this front office, but they haven't done that for whatever reason. Adding Javon Carter was supposed to help with the shot-making, but he went through one of his worst shooting seasons last year and is now under the microscope this season. Walker is similar to Carter when it comes to his shot-making potential, but his lack of consistency with his outside game has limited his minutes at times and has hurt his overall efficiency. He does, however, have a tendency to heat up quickly, and when he does, he can put up points in a hurry, with most of them coming from downtown. There is no debate that Walker is one of the best pure three-point shooters when left alone, but when he is contested, things go south. It has gotten to the point where his made percentage is more than 20% lower when contested as opposed to being left open, which is where the overall lack of consistency plays into this. Should he even become average from deep when guys are in his face, you are looking at a legit scoring option to use in various ways and one that could beat you on a given night. Looking back at last season, Walker IV put up pretty good numbers as he average 9.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 1.3 APG. Most of those numbers would be good enough to carve out a reliable role on this Bulls roster, but should he get more consistent shooting you are looking at a player capable of becoming a starter in this league. The 2018 first-round pick has bounced around since coming into the league, although his first three seasons came with DeRozan in San Antonio. During his time in the league, Walker has put up some decent numbers, but his 9.7 PPG this past season was his lowest total since 2019. His 38.4% from distance, however, was the second-highest total of his career, showing you how fast he can fill things up when he is dialed in. Considering his last contract was roughly 6.5 million dollars, Walker could be in play for a similar deal. Should the Bulls have some interest in him and find a way to make the money work, he is a no-brainer for them as we get closer to camp. This is a guy who has proven to be one of the better outside shooters in the game and is capable of scoring 14 PPG with a career-best 14.7 coming in 2022. Both are much-needed additions for this current Bulls roster, and this move could benefit them both this season and beyond.
