Remember Derrick Jones Jr.? Lost in the shuffle of free agency moves not made, the Bulls brought back Jones on more-or-less a minimum deal where he has a player option for the 2023-24 season.
Clearly not fans’ or the team’s first option, Jones should still be useful this season. Billy Donovan found some success when he slotted the 6’5” Jones into Bulls lineups as a small-ball center and/or plugged the 6’4” Green in as a small-ball power forward. When it came to Jones, Donovan took advantage of the fact that the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest champ has the verticality and seven-foot wingspan necessary to combat much, much taller players at the five spot.