Chicago Re-sign Cristiano Felicio to Start Free Agency
The Chicago Bulls help out their front-court depth and opt for youth by re-signing Brazilian big man Cristiano Felicio.
To start off the 2017 NBA Free Agency period, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports the Chicago Bulls and Restricted Free Agent big man Cristiano Felicio have agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract.
In just his second season in Chicago, Felicio played a total of 66 games, saw his minutes increase from 10 minutes to 15 minutes, averaged 4.8 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, shot 57.9 percent from the floor and 64.5 percent from the line.
The 6’10 Brazilian is only 24 years of age and looked more and more comfortable as his minutes increased this season. While he may be undersized, Felicio’s constant energy makes him a very serviceable player and someone who still has a lot of untapped potential.
Looking forward, the Bulls are in a strange predicament because of the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and rookie Lauri Markkanen. Subsequently, the Bulls appear to be in somewhat of a rebuilding process with the acquisitions of young talent. So, what do the Bulls have to look forward to? Well, the resigning of Felicio is a great start for the Bulls because of the depth and youth of their front-court.
- Lauri Markkanen (20 years old)
- Bobby Portis (22 years old)
- Cristiano Felicio (24 years old)
- Nikola Mirotic (26 years old)
A season ago, Chicago management said they were getting younger, then proceeded to sign veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. If the goal is to finally go a younger route then I think the Bulls are headed in the right direction by investing in their youth. Although the flashiness isn’t there, the Bulls could have a very balanced front-court of both shooting and physicality to build around for the future.
As for Felicio, the big man will more than likely come off the bench for Chicago as he continues to develop. At 6’10, Felicio is a tweener type player who can play both the power forward position and center position. Unlike rookie Lauri Markkanen or Nikola Mirotic his jumper isn’t the most reliable and he won’t be venturing out to three point land. However, Felicio’s constant energy and bruiser mentality makes him such a great bench piece. If he can develop a more reliable jumper and become a better defender, I think he’ll find himself as a great rotational piece faster than most people think.
Grade: B
Unlike the inflated salaries that bench players received last off-season, the Bulls got a steal because Felicio’s ceiling is still very high and there’s no reason he won’t improve. With increased minutes, Felicio should see an uptick in both points and rebounds per game and make huge strides next season in a backup role. All and all, Chicago retained their guy and it finally appears they’re all in on going young. Expect this Bulls front-court to grow and develop alongside each other this coming season and into the future.
