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Dalen Terry, Chicago Bulls
As a rebuilding team, the Chicago Bulls must thread the needle between patience and and expectations for thier young talents. Billy Donovan must give young players the room they need to grow. However, the front office can’t be afraid to pull the rip cord if a player isn’t making the required progress.
For Dalen Terry, that’s where things get interesting. The 22-year-old found a role in Donovan’s rotation this season, suiting up for 73 games. However, his production left a lot to be desired. So, with Terry heading into the final year of his contract and being eligible for a rookie-scale extension, the front office has a choice to make.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the most logical outcome is that Chicago opts not to re-sign Terry to an extension.
“Dalen Terry played in a career-high 73 games this past season (up from 59 in 2023-24), but he averaged only 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.5 minutes per game,” Pincus wrote. “He hasn’t done enough to make them reinvest in him at this time. The Bulls historically like their rookie-scale players at a discount. If Terry is willing to take a team-friendly extension, Chicago may take advantage. Otherwise, he could be salary filler in a trade, or he might just play out the final year of his rookie-scale deal.”
Terry will be under significant pressure to impress next season. A big year could entice the Bulls to make him an offer. Or, it would at least put him in the shop window for other teams, who may feel a change of scenery could bring the best out of him.
Bulls’ Priority is Re-Signing Josh Giddey
Heading into this offseason, the Bulls’ top priority will be re-signing Josh Giddey to a long-term contract. In a recent article on his “Third Apron” substack, cap expert Yozzi Goslan predicted that Chicago will secure Giddey on a team-friendly deal.
“The harsh conditions of restricted free agency and the lack of offers that may come with it could get the Bulls to offer him something in the low $20 million range annually,” Gozlan wrote. “An annual salary in the $25 million range could be his ceiling and ultimately a fair compromise.”
Once Giddey’s future is tied down, the Bulls front office can begin running the rule over impending free agents. Terry will undoubtedly be a point of discussion. However, for now, Chicago has bigger issues it must take care of.
Nikola Vucevic May Want to Leave
Another issue the Bulls front office may be forced to deal with, is the future of Nikola Vucevic. When speaking to the media as part of his end-of-season availability, the veteran big man admitted that at this point of his career, he would like to be part of a contending roster.
“There are some good, young pieces that can be built around,” Vucevic said. “There are a lot of questions when you’re a team not fighting for the top. I have trust in them and believe they want to do what’s best and build a good team that wants to win. So we’ll see. Obviously, I’m at the stage in my career where I’m trying to win now, play in the playoffs and hopefully have deep playoff runs. It’s a young team and it does take time. It all depends on what their timeline is and how they see this team.”
Chicago is unable to offer Vucevic a shot at winning a championship. As such, the impressive big man could be floated on the trade market. Vucevic has one year remaining on his current contract, which could be a valuable trade chip to the right team.
As such, Vucevic’s future will be something to watch between now and the trade deadline in February 2026.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
