Report calls the 2021 free agent class, where the Chicago Bulls went all in, as one of the worst of the decade

Recent history has not been fruitful for the Chicago Bulls. Although they made the NBA Playoffs a few times, more time has been spent trying to reclaim their former glory. The Bulls failed to do so with the 2021 free agent class, where they invested heavily in both Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan.

However, the results were promising early on as Ball led the Bulls' offense and propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference during the 2021-2022 season. However, things slowly fell apart when Ball injured his knee in January of 2022 and hasn't been on the court since.

Bulls went for it

After a dismal 2020-2021 season where they finished with a 31-41 record—good for 11th in the Eastern Conference—the Bulls were desperate for changes and swung for the fences during the 2021 offseason, acquiring both Ball and DeRozan. According to David Kenyon of Bleacher Report, the effort was laudable, considering how Ball and DeRozan meshed seamlessly with holdovers Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. But Ball's injury derailed the Bulls' trajectory, leaving them to scramble for answers up to this day.

"Considering how cautious most franchises are during free agency, this effort is admirable," wrote Kenyon. "Chicago saw a competitive window opening, and they acquired both Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Unfortunately, injuries to Ball have dimmed the grand dreams once envisioned."

Forgettable free agent class

Aside from the Bulls' moves, the 2021 free-agent class was largely forgettable. One large reason was the fact that several top-tier players were restricted free agents—which meant that the teams they were on had the final say in their future.

"Another problem is three top players (Jarrett Allen, John Collins and Duncan Robinson) were restricted free agents. Along with headliners Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul, none of them seemed like strong candidates to change uniforms—which held true," Kenyon continued. "It's fair to say 2021, although not necessarily a bad summer, didn't exactly bring a memorable July."