How Much Would it Have Cost the Bulls to Bring Everyone Back for the 1998-99 Season?

ESPN's hit documentary, "The Last Dance," concluded on Sunday night, and left many hoops fans fuming over why Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf didn't bring back the squad for at least one more run. Michael Jordan fully believed that the Bulls could've captured a seventh NBA title if the team stayed together for one more year. However, Reinsdorf expressed his belief that the organization would've been financially crippled if they had tried to re-sign everyone, which was met with an eye roll by Jordan.

As it turns out, Reinsdorf wasn't kidding.

CBS Sports' Samuel H. Quinn looked at how much keeping the Bulls dynasty together would've cost Reinsdorf. Retaining the Bulls came at the price tag of nearly $300 million in today's dollars.

Michael Jordan wanted the Bulls to stay together for a run at a seventh ring. How much would that have cost in modern terms?

Nearly $300 million.

Here's how the Bulls could've built the most expensive roster in NBA history, and why they were right not tohttps://t.co/NJAOBG3cdz
— Samuel H. Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 18, 2020

Well, that why Reinsdorf was truly apprehensive about bringing everyone back, and instead opted to follow general manager Jerry Krause's rebuild plan.

Quinn projected Jordan's contract to be around $35 million and then used the 1998-1999 salaries for all of the other departed players -- Pippen, Kerr, Rodman, Burrell, Longley and Buechler -- to reach the likely cost.

The storytelling of that Bulls dynasty was astonishing, and the fitting ending for this documentary was Michael Jordan challenging Jerry Reinsdorf that it had to end.

"I just can't accept it." #TheLastDance
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) May 18, 2020

Would the exorbitant price haven been worth it? Would Chicago truly stand a chance against the 1998-99 champion San Antonio Spurs if they had met in that year's Finals?

It's a question we'll never know the answer to. Jordan obviously wanted to give it a go, but Reinsdorf didn't want to put money into an older team. It's one of the biggest "what ifs" in sports history.