Bulls add perimeter help with Jevon Carter signing |
It is no secret that the Bulls have been one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the past few seasons. With that being said, the front office of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley has failed to address that area, and it has hampered the Bulls when it matters most.
Knowing that is still an issue entering the beginning stages of Free Agency, the Chicago Bulls front office is taking things a bit more seriously as they have added some much-needed perimeter help, and it comes from one of their biggest rivals. In the waning hours of NBA free agency, it was reported that the Bulls and G/F Jevon Carter have agreed to a three-year deal worth up to 20 million dollars. This may not be the flashiest of signings, but he brings an area of need to this team that they have been lacking. When it comes to the Bull's free agent signings the past few seasons, many of them have been head-scratching at best. This differs from those moves, as the front office made a smart decision. Going forward, his role on the team is another topic, but expect him to play a ton in the next three seasons while adding valuable production to this team. A Proviso East High School graduate, Jevon Carter is a career 39.7 percent shooting from downtown which would have ranked second in Chicago last season only behind Patrick Williams. However, when you look at the number of attempts each player took, Carter would be considered the more accurate one, and Chicago is hoping that will continue with them. Not only is he a great outside shooter, but he is also a terrific on-the-ball defender, which the Bulls lost when Lonzo Ball went down with an injury. While he may not be the answer to the Chicago Bulls’ facilitating problems, he does provide them with another feisty backcourt presence who can sink his catch-and-shoot 3s. After playing 81 games for the Milwaukee Bucks last season – starting 39 – he averaged 22.3 minutes per game. Look for those numbers to increase with the Bulls, even if he isn't in starting role right away, if at all. With that in mind, the fact that Chicago is adding him for nothing more than $6.7 million a year feels like a big win. According to reports, the Bulls used their mid-level exception on Carter, putting them under 10 million below the cap. With Karnisovas being given the green light to exceed the luxury tax this offseason, it will be interesting to see how aggressive the Bulls are from here and what direction they will go next. The Bulls should have been making these types of moves the past two seasons, as their depth was undoubtedly tested when it mattered. Although it is nice to see them finally make this type of a move, you have to wonder if the move was made a year too late and how Carter will fit in. Looking at the roster, Zach Lavine, Demar DeRozan, and Coby White all play the same positions that Carter does and would be higher than him on the depth chart. That means you are looking at a bench option who may not even be the sixth or seventh man used. Either way, Carter is being brought in to provide the Bulls with some great minutes off the bench, terrific on-ball defense, and, most importantly, the three-point shooting this team lacked. Should he be able to provide production similar to what he showed last season, then this will go down as a steal of a deal for Chicago? If not, the Bulls will not be tied to him too long, and the overall cost is something they can live with going forward.
