At the conclusion of the 2015-16 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls will be freed of the contracts of Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Aaron Brooks and E’Twaun Moore. This, in turn, will give the team approximately $19 million extra in spending money. With this money, the Bulls should heavily pursue Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside.

Whiteside, a second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 draft, absolutely exploded onto the NBA scene last year after spending the previous year in the Developmental League. In 48 games for the Heat, he averaged 11.8 points and 10 rebounds per game, while shooting an incredibly efficient 63 percent. Perhaps his most impressive stat was his game average of 2.6 blocks, which placed him just behind league leader Anthony Davis.

Whiteside has continued his upward surge so far this year. In the Heat’s first nine games, he has played even better than last season, averaging 14.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and four blocks per game. He has established himself as a force to be reckoned with down low and one of the league’s premier shot blockers.

So, why should the Bulls be interested in signing Whiteside?

First of all, the Bulls’ current center, Noah, will be up from contract at season’s end. The Bulls will be unlikely to bring Noah back because of his continually declining numbers and his extensive injury history. Noah’s departure would essentially leave Cristiano Felicio, an undrafted big man from Brazil, as the only other legitimate center on the Bulls’ roster.

Most importantly, Whiteside could become the dual threat that the Bulls need down low. The Bulls’ offense has been pretty awful the past few seasons. A major reason for that is the heavy pressure that has been placed on the guards, notably Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, to score. Signing Whiteside could alleviate some of this pressure and allow the offense to become more balanced. He has also demonstrated good post play and has a tendency to extend offensive possessions, averaging 2.8 offensive rebounds per game this season.

In addition to offense, Whiteside could also become a major defensive contributor to the team. Through the first nine games of the season, the Bulls’ defense has looked extremely shaky. If this trend continues, Whiteside could easily help fix it next season. Whiteside is a block monster and doesn’t let anyone score easily in the paint.

The Bulls also currently have one of the league’s older rosters, sitting at an average age of 27.9 years. Whiteside, at only 26 years old, could help make the team younger and would also be able to stay around for a while.

At the end of the 2015-16 season, management will surely explore various options, but the team’s executives should heavily be focusing on Hassan Whiteside. He possesses great skills on both sides of the ball and could become a centerpiece of the franchise for a long time to come.