Bulls Roster Breakdown: Who's Staying, Who's Going?
By Cody Westerlund--
(CBS) After a 2015-'16 season that was marked by passive-aggressive locker room drama ended with a 42-40 record and no postseason berth for the first time since 2008, the Bulls have turned their attention to the future. A crucial offseason awaits, one that management has promised will include roster turnover.
With that in mind, we break down the status of every Bulls player entering the offseason.
Note: Salary information is courtesy of Hoops Hype and Basketball Insiders.
Cameron Bairstow, power forward, 25
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17 on a non-guaranteed deal, team rights through 2017-'18
2016-'17 salary: $980,000
2015-'16 stats: 1.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.1 bpg, .325 FG%, 18 games
Comment: Bairstow's a low-maintenance and easygoing locker room guy. There are no signs that he fits into the team's future vision. The Bulls could use him as salary cap filler in a trade, hang on to him to fill out the roster for another season or cut ties with him without repercussion.
Aaron Brooks, point guard, 31
Contract status: unrestricted free agent
2016-'17 salary: N/A
2015-'16: 7.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, .401 FG%, .357 3PT%, 69 games
Comment: It's unlikely the Bulls pursue Brooks in free agency. They have a need to get tougher defensively and younger, and Brooks doesn't fit either bill. Plus, Chicago wanted to draft a guard in 2015 before Bobby Portis fell into their lap, so it'd be easy to see the Bulls take that route this time around.
Jimmy Butler, wing, 26
Contract status: signed through 2018-'19, with player option for 2019-'20
2016-'17 salary: $17.5 million
2015-'16 stats: 20.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.8 apg, .455 FG%, .311 3PT%, 67 games
Comment: Butler's the Bulls' best player, but his leadership coup -- which featured too much talk -- didn't sit well with many in the organization. Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman stressed that no Bull is untouchable on the trade market, Butler included. They're expected to take calls on him. Paxson also left the door cracked open to a total rebuild, however surprising that may be. If a total rebuild is in play, it'd be a no-brainer to move Butler because he'd bring back the most value. Still, it's much more likely that the Bulls want to compete for a playoff spot again next year, and no one is more crucial to that endeavor than Butler. Two-way All-Star players who can change the game at both ends are difficult to find, so the primary goal should be to get Butler and coach Fred Hoiberg on the same page, then have Butler verbally dial back his overzealous leadership quest. Barring a trade offer that blows the Bulls away, Butler will be the team's centerpiece to start next season.
Mike Dunleavy, small forward, 35
Contract status: signed through 2017-'18, with final year being non-guaranteed money
2016-'17 salary: $4.84 million
2015-'16 stats: 7.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, .410 FG%, .394 3PT%, 31 games
Comment: Dunleavy's 2015-'16 season was doomed from the start, as he underwent back surgery just a week before training camp and didn't return until early February. He then struggled shooting for long stretches late in the season. Dunleavy feels "great" now, he said. When healthy, he can still be a quality contributor, but the Bulls need to get more athletic -- and his 35-year-old body doesn't fit that mold. Dunleavy's $4.8-million salary could be used to used to match salaries in a trade with the other parts.
Cristiano Felicio, center, 23
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17
2016-'17 salary: $875,000
2015-'16 stats: 3.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.4 bpg, .556 FG%, 31 games
Comment: After making the team by impressing in Summer League last year and then training camp, Felicio mostly rode the bench for the first three-quarters of the season. He showed flashes of potential in a bigger role down the stretch, notably on the defensive end, where he defended the pick-and-roll well. Hoiberg sang praises of Felicio at every turn, and Felicio should factor in as a rotation player next season.
Pau Gasol, center, 35
Contract status: will opt out of deal to become an unrestricted free agent
2016-'17 salary: N/A
2015-'16 stats: 16.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .556 FG%, 72 games
Comment: Despite Forman's claim just after the trade deadline that Gasol is part of the team's "core," the Bulls are expected to let him walk in free agency. Gasol lived up to his contract in Chicago by being an All-Star each of the past two seasons, but he was exploited defensively in the pick-and-roll time and again. To help change the team's laissez faire attitude, he needs to go.
Taj Gibson, power forward, 30
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17
2016-'17 salary: $8.95 million
2015-'16 stats: 11.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg, .525 FG%, 73 games
Comment: At times late in the season, it seemed like Gibson was the only player who truly wanted to make the playoffs. Though his body has suffered plenty of wear and tear from various injuries, Gibson's a quality contributor and positive influence for the Bulls, a player who leads with his actions and provided toughness on a team with little of that commodity. It's an annual tradition for Gibson to end up in trade rumors, so nothing would surprise regarding his future -- but he also still has value for this team.
Justin Holiday, shooting guard, 27
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17
2016-'17 salary: $1.01 million
2015-'16 stats: 6.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, .413 FG%, .433 3PT%
Comment: The Bulls got a free look at Holiday, who was acquired in the deadline day Kirk Hinrich deal, and he showed some promise by attacking the hoop, being active on defense and running the floor. Hoiberg has indicated Holiday could be a rotational player, but he still needs to prove it on a more consistent basis.
Doug McDermott, wing, 24
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17, team rights through 2018-'19
2016-'17 salary: $2.48 million
2015-'16 stats: 9.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.7 apg, .452 FG%, .425 3PT%, 81 games
Comment: McDermott had a hot-and-cold season. Playing significant minutes after a lost rookie year, he was sixth in the NBA in 3-point percentage. He also was exploited often on the defensive end, and he did little to justify minutes when his shot wasn't falling. McDermott hasn't yet become the consistent force the Bulls hoped for when they traded a pair of first-round draft picks in 2014 to take him at No. 11 overall. His ability to stretch the floor is crucial for Hoiberg's offensive system, so his development will continue to be closely scrutinized.
Nikola Mirotic, power forward, 25
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17
2016-'17 salary: $5.8 million
2015-'16 stats: 11.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apt, .407 FG%, .390%, 66 games
Comment: Gifted with a starting spot to open the year because of his ability to stretch the floor to Hoiberg's liking, Mirotic largely disappointed, making little progress in his second NBA season. He disappeared for long stretches, wasn't tough defensively and lost his starting spot in the second week of December. Like McDermott, he does little to justify playing time when his shot isn't falling. In a case of misfortune, Mirotic also became the latest victim in the Bulls' long history of medical missteps, when he had to have a second surgery following complications from an appendectomy. That kept him out for about six weeks, as he lost 20 pounds in the ordeal. Mirotic's trade value isn't much now. It's on Hoiberg and the coaching staff to build his confidence and consistency up.
E'Twaun Moore, guard, 27
Contract status: unrestricted free agent
2016-'17 salary: N/A
2015-'16 stats: 7.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apt, .481 FG%, .452 3PT%, 59 games
Comment: Moore's free agency presents an interesting case. His quality, consistent play will earn him a nice pay raise, with early speculation that he could demand in the ballpark of $5 million or more annually with a rising salary cap. The Bulls like Moore, a business-like individual who played hard every night, with Hoiberg calling him "a rock." On a good team, he's best-suited to come off the bench, as his struggles with the Bulls usually came when he was asked to do too much offensively. Whether he returns to Chicago will be determined by the dollars on each side. He also was hampered by hamstring injuries for several stretches throughout the season, a factor to consider when deciding how much he's worth.
Joakim Noah, center, 31
Contract status: unrestricted free agent
2016-'17 salary: N/A
2015-'16 stats: 4.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.8 apt, .383 FG%, 29 games
Comment: How Noah's free agency plays out will be fascinating. Paxson confirmed the Bulls' intention to have a sit-down with Noah, who's been the heart and soul of the Bulls and spent his entire nine-year career in Chicago. "We have an affinity for Jo," Paxson said. But Hoiberg upset Noah, a proud veteran, early in the season when he relayed a false story that Noah had volunteered to come off the bench, when in fact he'd only maintained that he'd do what's best for the team. Noah and Butler also had a few disagreements, according to reports. Viewed one way, if the Bulls want to put Hoiberg and Butler in the best position to succeed, they need to let Noah go. On the flip side, they were void of locker room leadership this past season, and Noah's a respected voice who -- when healthy -- can still help anchor a defense. That recent injury history is working against him too. Left knee troubles hampered him through 2014-'15 before a severe left shoulder injury ended his 2015-'16 campaign in mid-January. There's a lot of risk in bringing Noah back, and it would take several key figures putting personal feelings and agendas aside.
Bobby Portis, power forward/center, 21
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17, team rights through 2019-'20
2016-'17 salary: $1.45 million
2015-'16 stats: 7.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.4 bpg, .427 FG%, .308 3PT%, 62 games
Comment: Portis showed promise during his rookie season while also being inconsistent. He represents the type of player Hoiberg wants in his system, with the ability to knock down the outside shot, roll to the rim and sprint -- not run -- the floor. Portis was simply asked to do too much too early due to injuries and stunted play elsewhere in the frontcourt, and his development projects to follow the track of most young players. He's very much in the team's future plans, and Portis already has a summer plan in place that's highlighted by two goals: working on counter post moves to his right hook and also strengthening his core. He also needs to focus on improving defensively.
Derrick Rose, point guard, 27
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17
2016-'17 salary: $21.3 million
2015-'16 stats: 16.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, .427 FG%, .293 3PT%
Comment: It will be music to many fans' ears to hear Rose has just one season left on a gigantic contract that's hampered the Bulls, due to his serious injuries. Rose played poorly for the first several months of 2015-'16, but he gradually improved and played in 66 games, his most since his MVP campaign of 2010-'11. The trouble was Rose's performances too often seemed empty because the games of he and Butler didn't co-exist well. Hoiberg also had a difficult time connecting with Rose, who didn't fully embrace the push-the-pace mantra of his rookie coach. Rose's defense also was often poor. Rose has little trade value right now, which Paxson more or less acknowledged in the postmortem press conference. The most logical way to trade him would be to find a lesser team that could take a one-year flier on him and/or needs to reach the salary floor with the cap exploding. A silver lining for the Bulls is that Rose -- who began eyeing his free agency when it was still 21 months out -- should be plenty motivated to perform in a contract year. Regardless, the Bulls will entertain offers on him. If he stays put, 2016-'17 will be a circus with his free agency looming.
Tony Snell, wing, 24
Contract status: signed through 2016-'17, team rights through 2017-'18
2016-'17 salary: $2.37 million
2015-'16 stats: 5.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.0 apt, .372 FG%, .361 3PT%, 64 games
Comments: Snell's stagnated development is a big black mark on Forman's resume. You probably forgot, but Snell started the Bulls' season opener. He was given every opportunity to impress and prove himself and didn't. As the Bulls' playoff hopes were alive but fading down the stretch, Snell took a DNP-CD designation 13 times in 14 games. He's under contract for another year, but barring an unlikely turnaround, he won't be much of a factor for the Bulls. His contract could be used to match salaries in an offseason trade.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
