Chicago Bulls let Javon Freeman-Liberty go to the Toronto Raptors

Summer League star Javon Freeman-Liberty has signed a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors.

© Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Javon Freeman-Liberty was one of the best players in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where he torched opposing defenses for 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting with an impressive 49 percent accuracy from the floor, including 46 percent from three-point land. However, all these numbers were not enough for the Chicago Bulls to give the undrafted guard a shot at the big league. The former Valparaiso and DePaul standout eventually made his way to the Toronto Raptors, where he signed a two-way contract.

Free agent G Javon Freeman-Liberty has agreed on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, his agents Luke and Keith Glass tell ESPN. Liberty-Freeman averaged 21 points for the Bulls in the Vegas Summer League.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 22, 2023

Bulls didn’t even make an offer

What’s intriguing, though, is a report that indicated that Freeman-Liberty was contacted by at least three NBA squads, yet the Bulls did not even make an offer, as they have already filled all three of their two-way slots. Adama Sanogo secured the first one before the Summer League kicked off, while Justin Lewis and Turkish prospect Onuralp Bitim nabbed the other two.

Sanogo, the former UConn star, was particularly impressive in Las Vegas where he averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and one block per game, thereby solidifying his two-way spot. However, Lewis and Bitim remain unproven, making the snub of Freeman-Liberty even more puzzling.

Will this come back to haunt them?

The Bulls have committed a similar mistake before. In 2016, the Bulls acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and sent him down to the G League, where he played for the Windy City Bulls. He also dominated, averaging 19.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds over 37.4 minutes in nine games. He was eventually scooped up by the Brooklyn Nets where he thrived for six seasons.

Dinwiddie has since become one of the league’s most dependable scorers, whether as a starter or a reserve. Only time will tell if the Bulls’ snub of Freeman-Liberty will backfire on them. The Bulls have a lot on the line, and their decisions could potentially make or break the team for years to come.