Bulls Offseason Grade: Why ESPN's Evaluation Misses the Mark

I've held off on giving my official grade for the Chicago Bulls offseason. Truth be told, I still think it's too early to make the call.

Bryson Graham still has an open roster spot at his disposal, and the league is still waiting on a sizeable list of players to ink their next deal. Do I think it's likely that the Bulls pull off some kind of meaningful move in the coming weeks? No. But even a small transaction could change how we look at this offseason as a whole.

Having said that, I still feel like ESPN is being a little too strict with their assessment. A C+ might universally be a smidge above average, but do we realize what average has been for the Chicago Bulls in recent years? It's been short-sighted moves that only further muddy the trajectory of the franchise. This offseason established a very different path.

No, I'm not going to storm into the room like a delusional parent and demand my kid gets an A for simply trying his best. However, is a B- or B too much to ask?

If one thing is for sure, it doesn't feel like 15 other teams should have received a higher grade. Some of those that stand out are the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets re-signed a bunch of meh role players and traded for Julius Randle. The Trail Blazers let Tiago Splitter walk and decided to throw Ja Morant into a crowded situation. Indiana lost its lottery pick and made Kelly Oubre Jr. their marquee signing. Milwaukee freakin' traded away one of the best players in the league!

The Bulls may not have done anything sexy, but they were incredibly calculated. They added the kind of veterans that should fit alongside their developing youngsters, and they did so while maintaining immense future flexibility. Norman Powell's two-year contract felt like a big win, as they second season is a team option. Claxton was added to the roster for absolutely nothing in return!

The easiest move to criticize is bringing Collins back into the mix, but Graham at least also signed him to another two-year deal with a team option. It makes him an instantly tradeable contract.

Can we also not ignore how big of a deal it is that Caleb Wilson ended up in Chicago? This alone should make it difficult to drop the Bulls into the C range. He is easily their best prospect since Derrick Rose and reaffirmed that with his epic Summer League tape. I know we're grading the offseason overall, but it's not necessarily like the Bulls did anything bad enough to damage the positive vibes that come from landing Wilson.

Again, I'm not advocating for the Bulls to receive a standing ovation. A C+ is at least better than what they would have gotten in years past. But context matters! A part of me simply finds this to be a savvy first offseason for the new brain trust. They are operating in a very different way than we have grown accustomed to, and it's instantly made it easier for all of us to understand what they're trying to accomplish. I'll take that.

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