Fans of NBA team Chicago Bulls expressed their displeasure after the team failed to sign Javon Freeman-Liberty following his impressive showing at the NBA Summer League back in July. The 6’4” guard, a standout performer for the Bulls’ G League affiliate, Windy City Bulls, will instead take his talents to the Raptors, who have signed him to a two-way contract.
Javon Freeman-Liberty impressed many scouts and front-office executives during the summer league in Las Vegas, averaging 21.2 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. The Seton Academy graduate also averaged 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, showing there’s more to his game than just scoring. All of these led to his inclusion in the 2023 All-Summer League Second Team, leading many Chicago Bulls fans to expect Freeman-Liberty to be a part of the team’s roster for the upcoming season.
Could Javon Have Helped the Bulls Make the Playoffs?
However, after reports that the Bulls didn’t make an offer to the 23-year-old and that he would be joining the Raptors instead, fans of the Chicago-based team shared their frustrations via social media. It’s easy to wonder why some Bulls’ fans are creating such an uproar over a player who went undrafted at the 2022 NBA draft, but Freeman-Liberty — who played high school basketball in Chicago — endeared himself to the Bulls faithful with his impressive displays for the team’s G League affiliate, averaging nearly 15 points per game to along with five rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls narrowly missed the playoffs during the 2022–23 campaign, losing to eventual finalist — the Miami Heat — in the play-in tournament, and fans of the six-time champions will be hoping for an improvement this season. However, losing out on a potential role player like Freeman-Liberty won’t improve the team’s chances of making the playoffs, which are pretty slim, according to odds at BET MGM.
Bulls fans’ frustrations were compounded when the team’s office front resigned guards Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White to new three-year deals — both of whom averaged 8.6 and 9.7 points per game, respectively, during the 2022–23 season.
Lack of Scoring Options in the Backcourt
Dosunmu and White have failed to fill the enormous gap created by the absence of starting point guard Lonzo Ball. Ball, who signed for the Chicago Bulls from the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer of 2021, has struggled with injuries, only playing 35 games in his first season and also missed the entire 2022-23 season due to injury. The former UCLA star has already announced he’ll also be missing the entirety of the upcoming season, as Bulls VP Arturas Karnisovas revealed — and that begs the question: Why didn’t the Bulls, at least, offer Freeman-Liberty some sort of deal?
The current Bulls roster lists Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Carik Jones, the injured Lonzo Ball, and Zach Lavine as options for the guard position. And other than Lavine, none of the other players have proven quality in putting the ball into the hoop. Yes, Freeman-Liberty is yet to do it on the NBA level. Still, the opportunity to add a hometown player who has shown he can score points at every other level he has played at represents a low-risk, high-reward scenario for the Chicago Bulls.
Billy Donovan Coaching for His Future
Another interesting point of view yet to be considered in this situation is that of head coach Billy Donovan. The 58-year-old left his post as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder after they decided to rebuild the team following the conclusion of the 2019–2020 season. The former University of Florida head coach signed a four-year deal with the Bulls in 2020 and has failed to make the playoffs in two of the three seasons he has spent in Chicago. With Billy Donovan’s contract expiring next summer, the former Utah Jazz point guard hopes to make the playoffs with the Bulls this season to secure a new deal or impress other NBA teams and will need all the talented players he can get at his disposal. This makes us wonder whether he agreed to the decision not to sign Freedom-Liberty to the team.
Conclusion
Everyone affiliated with the Chicago Bulls — from those who man the front office to the team’s avid fans — will be hoping this isn’t a case of lightning striking twice, as the Bulls made a similar decision with Spencer Dinwiddie back in 2016, as reported by Bulls News. After they decided against signing the Brooklyn Nets point guard following his impressive displays for the Windy City Bulls, averaging 19.4 points, 8.1 assists, and just under four rebounds per game. Dinwiddie has established himself as a prominent role player in the NBA, be it as a starter or off the bench, and if the situation turns out to be the same in the case of Javon Freeman-Liberty or even worse —perhaps help the Raptors finish above the Bulls— this decision could end of setting the team back in their quest to redeem their glory days.
As for Freeman-Liberty, we can only assume that the former Valparaiso University star is excited at the opportunity to prove he belongs in the NBA while rewarding the Toronto Raptors for their show of faith in him.
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