Chicago Bulls Offseason Needs

Starting Shooting Guard:
The Bulls have needed a starting shooting guard for the longest time. They got Rip Hamilton two years ago, but he has not panned out. They need to start young. Jimmy Butler is more of a small forward, but he has shown his ability as a starter in the playoffs. I just do not know if he would be able to handle the shooting guard position for the long term. Marco Belinelli has been a good player as well, but e is no starter. The Bulls have the 20th pick in the draft and unfortunately for them, there is not much of a selection of shooting guards at that point in the draft. Their only option at this point is Tim Hardaway JR. Hardaway has some issues with his game, but he would be a decent pick at this point. He is a good shooter, but he settles for three pointers too often when he should try to get into the lane. There is not much that the Bulls would want in free agency either. This has been a weak position for the Bulls for years and that may continue into next season unless someone drops to them in the draft.

Center Depth:
Joakim Noah showed how great he can be as he had his best season yet. He averaged 12 points 11 boards 4 assists and 2 blocks per game. However, they need some depth behind him. Nazr Muhammad played well when Noah went to the bench, but they could do better. Luckily for them, there are some pretty good centers in the draft. Jeff Withey should be their number one target. He fits their style. He is a solid defensive player who excels at blocking shots. He would be an excellent backup to Noah and could get a decent amount of minutes in his first season. They could also choose to go after Steven Adams. He is a project big man, but has an NBA ready body. He is soft at times and his defense can be iffy, but when and if he reaches his full potential he could be a really good player.

Dump Boozer:
Carlos Boozer had his worst offensive season of his career last season. He shot 47% from the field which is the worst percentage of his career. If Boozer's offensive game is on the downturn, that is not good for his career. He is already a very bad defensive player and if he is not getting it done on the offensive side of the court, he is practically useless. He also has a very big contract which does not help his cause. The Bulls can still use their amnesty, but they should explore trade options before they let him go. Taj Gibson is good enough to take over as the starter. He has a decent on offense, but he is much better on defense than Boozer. Dumping Boozer would improve the team and it would give them some wiggle room to pick up someone in free agency if they wanted to.

Derrick Rose should be back next season which should put them in one of the top two spots in the Eastern Conference. However, they do need to make changes in order to compete for the NBA Finals. Getting a good shooting guard should help, but if they amnesty Boozer, they will need some big man depth. Jeff Withey would be their best option at that point. If they decide not to amnesty Boozer, shooting guard will be their biggest need. When Rose comes back, they will automatically be better, but they need the pieces in order to get to the Finals. I believe they will at least make it to the conference finals, but it is tough to see if they go any further.