The Chicago Bulls are unlikely to make a huge free-agency coup this off-season, as team executives John Paxon and Gar Forman look to main cap flexibility for the 2018 season and beyond. According to Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, the Bulls’ top decision-makers may stay put with relatively the same roster, unless a major trade happens.

GarPax decisions

The Bulls barely clinched a postseason spot this year after their experiment’of putting Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler together didn’t end up too well. Paxson asserted during the exit interviews that it would be hard to come up with major changes on the roster because of their cap situation.

Forman also turned down the idea of handing out long-term deals this offseason in favor of saving money for key free-agents in 2018 onwards.

The Bulls’ executives’ comment only suggests that they are not interested in adding firepower to the team, despite the availability of marquee free-agents such as Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Serge Ibaka, Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap.

Chicago is projected to have a starting cap space of $15MM this summer, but it could go up to $40MM once Dwyane Wade opts out of his second year of his deal worth $23MM. The Bulls might use a large portion of their cap space for guaranteeing Rajon Rondo’s partially-guaranteed deal and re-signing Nikola Mirotic, who expressed his intention to stay in the Windy City.

They also have to make decisions on the contract status of Cristiano Felicio and Joffrey Lauvergne.

The GarPax tandem has not provided any reasons behind their decision to save cap flexibility for the forthcoming free-agency seasons, although many NBA insiders speculate that the Bulls could emerge as another suitor for Russell Westbrook and Paul George, who are both scheduled to hit the market in 2018.

J.Buckets Future

Of course, the biggest storyline for the Bulls this off-season will be about the future of star player Jimmy Butler. According to multiple league sources, Chicago will again attempt to shop the All-Star small forward this off-season, which is something Butler and Dwyane Wade will be informed of in their upcoming meeting with the Bulls’ management.

Paxson admitted that Butler might not actually fit into Fred Hoiberg’s pace-and-space system, but he’s undeniably the team’s best player. He also added that he does not intend to disrespect Butler by trying to trade him elsewhere.

Barry Jackson of Miami Herald reported that the outcome of the meeting between the players and the Bulls’ bosses will have a huge implication in Wade’s decisions, whether he stays or leave the Bulls after one season. The NBA insider added that there’s a possibility the Miami Heat could mend the relationship with Wade and hopefully re-acquire him this off-season.