Chicago Bulls could pursue 2019 first round pick on the open market

The Chicago Bulls are playing an exciting brand of basketball right now, and the entire league is on full notice. The ending to last Thursday’s game at home against the Lakers felt like something out of a movie, and the team gave the crowd at the United Center memories that they will never forget. Their four-game winning streak came to an end against the Mavericks on Saturday, and they are currently tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference entering play on Monday night.

The last month has been fun to watch, but many believe that the Bulls are hurting themselves in the long run because of this stretch. Losing out on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes is not great, and even though this is a solid draft class of prospects this summer, a top-five pick would be preferred so Chicago could snag another big piece to the puzzle in this rebuild.

A former first-round draft pick was placed on waivers last week, and he is still on the open market. The Bulls could always look for players to add to the current roster with upside, with depth always being important as well.

The Chicago Bulls could pursue Cam Reddish

The Lakers waived Cam Reddish last week to make a roster spot for Jordan Goodwin ahead of the playoffs in a few weeks. Los Angeles was the fourth team that Reddish had been a part of since being drafted with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Reddish had spent parts of the last two seasons with the Lakers and played in 33 games this year. The 25-year-old averaged just 3.2 points per game this season to go with his 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per contest on 40.4% shooting from the field.

Injuries have derailed Reddish’s career, as the most games he has ever played in a season came in his rookie campaign with the Hawks, where he saw action in 58 contests. The wing had plenty of potential coming out of Duke but has failed to live up to expectations six years into his professional career.

While his lack of production and injury history isn’t great for any team, there is no saying that a younger organization like the Bulls couldn’t at least take a flyer on a guy like Reddish. There is no harm in bringing him in for the rest of the season as a low-risk, high-reward type of player.

Cam Reddish might not totally fit what the Chicago Bulls are building

Reddish has had issues with teams in his career due to lack of playing time, and if the Bulls don’t have a role in mind for him, things could get rough quickly. With how well the team is playing right now, the last thing they need is any distractions in the locker room from a player who wasn’t with them from the beginning.

The forward’s career numbers of 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 39.8% shooting might not excite the Bulls’ front office to make a move on the open market this late in the season. However, any time a former promising first round pick is available, it’s always worth considering.