Bulls reunion with free agent center makes sense; will Chicago offer deal?

The Chicago Bulls are hunting for a center in free agency, and one of their former players is on the market.

Chicago could need to acquire up to three centers this summer, depending on what happens with Andre Drummond and Nikola Vučević in the coming days (both are expected goners).

Free agent centers recently linked to the Bulls are Jalen Smith, James Wiseman, and Xavier Tillman.

Smith, Wiseman, and Tillman are all under 26 years old, which fits with the Bulls' plan to rebuild. Striking a deal with one -- or better yet, two -- of these guys would be a huge victory for Chicago's front office.

At the same time, the Bulls need to monitor the entire market for centers in case their top targets don't work out.

An excellent backup option at center for Chicago is Daniel Theis, who briefly played for the Bulls during the 2021-22 season before being traded to the Houston Rockets.

Theis, 32, is an unrestricted free agent and is not expected to demand a contract above the veteran minimum.

Interestingly, Theis' 10.0 points per game in 23 games played for the Bulls (14 starts) is his highest scoring average for any of the five teams he's played for.

Theis isn't a starting center for a contender, but the Bulls aren't contending anytime soon.

Theis would bring stability to a young locker room and, at worst, provide valuable minutes as Chicago's backup center next season.

More NBA: Bulls veteran wing surprisingly opts in, could become summer trade asset