Bulls are limited in free-agency, but time could be right to make a decent splash

NBA free-agency begins at 5 p.m. Central time on Friday. So to prepare, here's a quick Q&A:

Is this a make-or-break summer for the Bulls?

No, because they could make a case that internal improvement will be more impactful and they don't have much money to spend anyway.

What are their greatest needs?

A veteran point guard, 3-point shooting and a true backup power forward with some size, which they haven't had in a few years.

How many spots are available?

If they re-sign restricted free agents Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, as expected, there are basically four open spots. Marko Simonovic and Carlik Jones have non-guaranteed deals for 2023-24, but there's no great need to bring them back. Their unrestricted free agents are Patrick Beverley, Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green.

Andre Drummond officially opted into his deal worth $3.36 million for 2023-24 on Thursday.

How much can they spend?

The Bulls can match any offer for White or Dosunmu. Otherwise, they can use the midlevel exception, which is worth around $12.5 million and be split among multiple players.

They can also apply for an injury exception for Lonzo Ball. If granted - and why wouldn't it be? - they could use half his salary, $10.2 million, to sign a player for one year. They could also trade for someone who makes less than that amount and is in his final contract year. If Ball happens to play next season, it doesn't affect the player using the exception.

Which players will they attempt to sign?

Let's put it this way: The best way to become a Finals contender in the NBA these days is to become a desired destination for star players. The Bulls need someone like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, whomever, to request a trade to Chicago.

For the past several years, no one's been rushing to sign up for the Bulls. So this free-agency period is a chance to show the rest of the league they are serious about winning. Maybe that's by using the full midlevel exception and the injury exception, sending a message to fans and players alike that winning is the goal and paying a small amount of luxury tax is no deterrent.

Whether the Bulls go all-in on that plan is anybody's guess. Probably the safest bet of the week is the Bulls will reach out to Derrick Rose, because bringing Rose home to Chicago would be a popular move and sell tickets.

During the past two seasons, the Bulls have gone 35-22 when Ball or Beverley are running the point. Would Rose bring the same veteran guidance to the point guard spot and help make the Bulls a winning team? That's unlikely, since he'll be 35 on opening night and played in just 53 games combined in the past two seasons with the Knicks.

Bringing back Beverley is probably the better option. They could also make a run at Russell Westbrook or see if a tight market could make D'Angelo Russell realistic.

There are a decent amount of wing shooters available, like Donte DiVincenzo, Bruce Brown, Joe Ingles, Seth Curry, Malik Beasley, even ex-Bull Max Strus. The problem there is where would such a player fit in the rotation? The Bulls already have Alex Caruso coming off the bench and need to find time for second-year wing Dalen Terry.

For a backup power forward, there should be some value options available, like Mo Bamba, Jaxson Hayes, Jalen McDaniels, Mo Wagner. Sacramento's Chimezie Metu could make sense.

If the Bulls make a summer trade, it should be about packaging young players to get an established star. As mentioned here before, it's hard to imagine a Zach LaVine trade that would make the Bulls a better team. He's coming off the best performance of his career and should be heading into the prime of his career. Now is not the time.

If they trade DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls would be a young team searching for veteran guidance. By re-signing center Nikola Vucevic to a three-year, $60 million exception this week, he can't be traded until Dec. 15 at the earliest.

Twitter: @McGrawDHSports

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