Chicago Bulls linked to polarizing seven-footer in NBA free agency

The Chicago Bulls will likely be one of the most active teams in NBA free agency this offseason, as they are armed with massive cap space and have a bunch of holes to fill.

Perhaps one of the Bulls’ most significant needs is a big body on the interior, someone who can provide some offense while also clogging up the middle defensively. There aren’t too many of those types of players out there, but Chicago should be able to land someone this summer.

Jalen Duren has been a popular name for the Bulls, but the center is expected to make upward of $40 million annually on his next deal, and Chicago may not want to go that far for a player who struggled so mightily in the playoffs for the Detroit Pistons this past season.

Perhaps the Bulls will pursue some less expensive options who can still get the job done, and John Hollinger of The Athletic has linked them to one potential solution in that regard: former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.

Chicago Bulls linked to Deandre Ayton

Ayton will almost certainly decline his $8.1 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.

“He’ll surely opt out of his $8.1 million deal, and the Lakers may not bring him back given their potential cap space maneuvers and the fact that they have no Bird rights on Ayton. That immediately makes him among the most gettable starting center candidates, and the presence of center-needy cap-room teams like the Bulls or Nets could push his price above the non-taxpayer MLE,” Hollinger wrote.

But just how good of a fit would Ayton be in Chicago?

The 27-year-old averaged 12.5 points, eight rebounds and one block over 27.2 minutes per game this past year, shooting 67.1 percent from the floor and 64.5 percent from the free-throw line. His offensive repertoire is pretty limited, and while his defense isn’t terrible, it isn’t exactly elite, either.

Ultimately, it will come down to the price for the Bulls. So long as Ayton doesn’t break the bank, he might actually be a solid addition just to stabilize the frontcourt. It also depends on what else Chicago does this offseason. If Ayton is its top get, then that’s a problem.

It should be noted that Ayton did average double-doubles in each of his first seven NBA seasons up until the streak was broken in 2025-26, so that’s something.

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