The Shooting Math Doesn’t Add Up
Bryson Graham’s got one job: keep the Bulls from blowing a massive opportunity. Reports say the exec is chasing Bennedict Mathurin, a guy with elite athletic tools. But the stats scream danger. According to Pippen Ain’t Easy, bringing Mathurin aboard would only dilute the roster. Chicago already fields a squad stuffed with athletic wings who can’t hit a jump shot from beyond the arc. Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue all struggle from deep. Why on earth would Graham want another non-shooter? It’s a logical dead end.
Mathurin’s a 24-year-old swingman with a 6-foot-9 wingspan who can fly. His outside shot, though? That’s a liability. He’s shot just 33.6 percent from three-point range over his career. Last season in Los Angeles, that number cratered to a woeful 20.7 percent. That’s not acceptable for a team trying to compete. The Bulls need spacing to let their young stars breathe. A player who misses open looks strangles that spacing. The front office can’t afford to stock the roster with more of the same.
Too Many Young Wingers
The Bulls are actually loaded with high-upside talent right now. They’ve got four young wings who range from average to awful as shooters. Adding Mathurin would just be another trip down that same road. Indiana drafted him sixth overall in 2022. He showed flashes there, averaging 16.1 points across 237 games. He was also solid in 26 games with the Clippers, posting 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. But production in other systems doesn’t fix the fit in Chicago. The team wants to build around Wilson, Swain, and Buzelis. None of them are sharpshooters either. Buzelis hit just 34.9 percent last year. Josh Giddey is decent at 36.4 percent, but nothing special. Jalen Smith stands alone as the only returning shooter at 37.3 percent.
Outside of 33-year-old Norman Powell, the team lacks reliable distance shooting. If Graham pulls the trigger on Mathurin, the offense will grind to a halt. Defenses will clog the paint and dare these guys to shoot. The result? Ugly. A restricted free agent like Mathurin could cost a fortune in cash or draft assets. Dumping that kind of capital on a redundant player is bad business. The Bulls need to clear the logjam, not pile on more logs. The front office has to be smart about these final roster spots. Every single spot needs to help the team win now.
Quit While Ahead
Graham needs to walk away from this deal. The risk outweighs the reward by a mile. Chicago has a rare shot to build a core that actually fits. They’ve got the youth and the talent to make it work. But they have to fix the shooting deficit first. Loading up on poor shooters when you already have a surplus is a recipe for disaster. The franchise can’t keep repeating these errors. The fanbase is exhausted watching the same bad habits play out.
The path forward is obvious. Stick to the plan. Develop the young wings already on the roster. Target a trade for a shooter who can actually space the floor. Don’t let the hype of a big name blind the front office to the reality on the court. The Bulls have the pieces to win, but only if they fit. Mathurin doesn’t fit. It’s time to say no and move on. The next move defines the future of this rebuild.
