The point guard market proved to be a volatile one.
By Monday morning, gone were Bulls targets like Cory Joseph and Ish Smith, so that meant getting creative.
Combo guard Tomas Satoransky is creative. Give vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman credit for that.
Is he a game changer?
Likely not.
But he does help the rebuild from a depth standpoint with an ability to play either guard spot, his versatility, and a definite flair to his style of play.
The Bulls acquired the 27-year-old in a sign-and-trade from the Wizards, and plan to sign Satoransky to a three-year deal near the $30-million mark, according to a team source. In return, the Bulls will send Washington a 2020 second-round pick, as well as a conditional swapping of second-round picks in 2022.
So what exactly will the Czech Republic native bring to the roster?
A definite need.
After a slow start to last season, Satoransky jumped into the starting mix for an injured John Wall, and by the end of the season was playing some solid basketball. His month of March included the guard averaging 11.1 points per game, while handing out 7.1 assists and grabbing 4.9 rebounds.
He’s a career 40 percent three-point shooter, a solid team defender, and maybe more importantly understands ball security.
What Satoransky will also do is make fall camp very interesting.
Coby White was the No. 7 overall pick in the draft two weeks ago, but his tutoring as a point guard will be a process that the Bulls are willing to take slowly. That means Kris Dunn and Satoransky going at each other, with the starting point guard spot up for grabs.
Well, if Dunn is even a Bull by then.
Paxson and Forman have no pressure to trade Dunn from ownership, especially because Dunn is still on his rookie contract, but moving him would eliminate any concerns of camp animosity. Dunn has heard the criticism of the job he did at point guard this past season, and has now watched his front office add two players to take his job.
Message heard and received.
As far as what splash is still out there for the Bulls to make? Well, it will be more of a tiny ripple. They quickly moved on adding forward Thaddeus Young right when the free-agent bell rang Sunday evening, and with the addition of Satoransky they have $4.76 million from a “room’’ exception left to spend.
That means let the flurry of the market continue, and then swoop in on the cheaper bins.
What Paxson and Forman have been successful in doing the last 24 hours is at least giving coach Jim Boylen a bench and the toughness he was hoping to add.
