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The Bulls are flush with spending power this summer, so any potential move needs to weigh the value of waiting.
Still, chasing Mathurin with an offer sheet as a restricted free agent (requiring an overpay) is a different negotiating platform than having him as the Bulls’ own restricted free agent.
Equally, adding a young center like Missi, who has two additional years on his rookie-scale contract, is a relatively low-risk investment. Chicago is giving players it would view as expendable (Terry, Carter) and draft compensation this June that may be unlikely to yield talent on par with Mathurin and Missi.
The Bulls have other players on expiring contracts they can trade before the deadline, such as Nikola Vučević, Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Zach Collins. This concept may not be the only move the team makes, but it fills two positional needs around Giddey and Buzelis without Chicago giving up significant future considerations.
Depending on which players the Bulls keep beyond this season, the team could have nearly $47 million in cap room (including Mathurin and Missi).