Let’s face it, the 2024-25 Chicago Bulls were a subpar defensive team. Don’t let the post-All-Star break numbers fool you, the Bulls are very much in need of defensive reinforcements to rectify a porous unit.

The Bulls allowed the 28th-most points per game, 119.4. Although the number is inflated due to the frenetic pace at which Chicago played, the Bulls finished 19th in defensive rating, at 114.8. All in all, the Bulls fielded a below-average unit that was decimated on the interior and lacked any resemblance of defensive playmaking.

Chicago allowed the most points in the paint per game, 54.0. Bulls’ opponents shot 64.2 percent within five feet and 44.7 percent from five to feet—both bottom-half marks. Moreover, the Bulls ranked 24th in steals and 18th in blocks per game.

Adding a defensive playmaker in the first round of June’s draft will be a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, relying on a rookie to remedy a shoddy defensive unit is a significant demand. Whomever the Bulls decide to use their lottery pick on will help, but Chicago must look to the 2025 free agent crop to solidify its defense moving forward.

Like the rest of the NBA, the Bulls won’t have an abundance of funds to spend this offseason. Chicago is projected to have roughly $19 million in practical salary cap space. However, with Josh Giddey’s $25 million cap hold and eventual $30-plus million pact, the Bulls will only have the $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel and $5.1 million biannual exception at their disposal. Both exceptions will be crucial in infusing a quality offensive unit with versatile defenders.

4. Jae’Sean Tate

First on the list is impending unrestricted free agent Jae’Sean Tate. The Houston Rockets forward is coming off the least productive season of his career. The 29-year-old averaged merely 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game. Tate’s nosedive in counting stats coincided with the Rockets’ meteoric rise to second seed in the Western Conference.

Prior to Houston’s infusion of high-end prospects, Tate was a rotation regular and arguably the Rockets’ most versatile defender. Standing merely 6-foot-4, Tate is capable of defending three positions. His sturdy 230-pound frame and 6-foot-8 wingspan allow him to defend bigger forwards, yet at the time, he’s capable of shadowing quicker perimeter players. Just last year, Tyrese Maxey and Zion Williamson were two of Tate’s most recurrent matchups.

Tate held his opponents to a 39.2 percent conversion rate this season—a 7.7 percent difference from their average field goal percentage. The 6-foot-5 guard was CraftedNBA’s 36th most impactful defender according to their “CraftedDMP,” which compiles defensive box plus/minus, FiveThirtyEight’s Defensive RAPTOR, and Basketball Index’s D-LEBRON’s metric into one score.

3. Paul Reed

Like Tate, Paul Reed is flying under the radar. He only appeared in 45 games this past season and averaged 9.7 minutes per game. Yet, in his limited action, he averaged 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per contest—that’s 3.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes! If he were to qualify, Reed would have ranked in the top five in steal and block percentage.

In three games thus far in the postseason, the Detroit forward is limiting his opponents to a 38.9 percent field goal percentage—a minus-12.0 percent differential. Reed’s regular season metrics were closer to average. However, his interior defense was borderline remarkable. Reed’s opponents shot 11.2 percent worse when he was the primary defender. Despite standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 210 pounds, Reed’s effort and tenacity are second to none.

Reed will likely never earn a starting role; he’s undersized and doesn’t provide enough offensive juice. Fortunately for the Bulls, neither is a prerequisite. An active defender, capable of matching up against forwards and centers, is an ideal addition.

2. Precious Achiuwa

While Tate, Reed, and the number one target on the list rank within CraftedNBA’s top 40 defenders, Precious Achiuwa claims the 196th spot, ranking in the 62nd percentile. He’s nowhere near the defensive analytics darling of his counterparts. But don’t get it twisted, Achiuwa is still a versatile, high-energy defender.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound big is a tweener unlike most. His positional split is almost 50/50, at power forward and center. The Memphis product is burly enough to bang in the post and nimble enough to hang with most forwards. He doesn’t often defend wings, but he should. A season ago, Achiuwa spent at least 10 minutes defending Paolo Banchero, Pascal Siakam, and Tobias Harris. The trio converted merely 30-of-68 field goals when defended by Achiuwa. He’s a picturesque matchup for bigger forwards, an archetype the Bulls lack.

Where Achiuwa doesn’t stand out is in his defensive playmaking. He’s only averaged more than a block or steal once before. The 25-year-old averaged 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game this past season. However, he was one of five qualifiers to record steal and block percentages north of 2.0 and 3.0, respectively. Chicago could gravely use Achiuwa’s versatility and athletic profile in the frontcourt.

1. Luke Kornet

Lastly, an analytics darling and cult favorite, Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet. The 7-foot-2 big man has transformed into a dominant interior presence—a seismic shift from the player he was when he suited up for the Bulls from 2019 to 2021. Kornet threw down 86 dunks and rejected 71 shots this season in only 18.6 minutes per game.

Kornet ranked as CraftedNBA’s 22nd-best defender. The 29-year-old was a stifling interior defender for the Celtics. He averaged 1.0 blocks per contest and forced his opponents’ field goal percentage to crater 11.8 percent within six feet. The nearly 12-point percentage differential ranked fifth among qualifiers.

Kornet is a trickier case to pinpoint than the three previously mentioned players. He’s earning merely $2.8 million and has never earned north of $3 million in any season. He’s certainly due for a pay raise, which likely makes him an unattainable asset in Boston. Does Chicago want to spend eight figures on a player who’s never averaged more than 7.0 points per game? The answer should be yes, Kornet is that valuable, although a one or two-year pact would be preferred.