What should the Chicago Bulls do with the first lottery pick they’ve held since drafting the man they just traded to New York City? They should start by finding a time machine and figuring out who’s the best player available at No. 14 overall.
Time after time, the Chicago Bulls have helped catapult themselves into championship contention by nailing the night that matters most in the offseason—the NBA Draft. Sure, Chicago wound up with Eddy Curry instead of LaMarcus Aldridge once, traded Elton Brand before his prime, and the owners actually think they mean more to the franchise’s success than MJ, Pippen, the players, and the coaches combined—but the Bulls have drafted as well as anyone since the lottery system was implemented back in 1984.
Assuming the Bulls realize Jimmy Butler is a franchise player and the dealing is done, what might Chicago do with the No. 14 pick? Well, here’s the rundown of some mocks:
Our own Zach Reynolds and Josh Cornelissen—as well as Draft Express—have Wade Baldwin IV becoming a Bull. Tim Bontemps’ ask-around the league mock featuring Vince Goodwill from Comcast SportsNet Chicago has them selecting Denzel Valentine with Baldwin already off the board to the Bucks at No. 10.
A point guard would certainly make sense, plus Valentine and Baldwin both possess solid size for the position. However, there are no easy answers in life or on draft day. This draft has repeatedly been referred to as a weak one with regard to point guards, and whether that holds true or not casts a shadow of doubt onto the legitimacy of Chicago rushing to fill Rose’s spot in the rotation rather than taking the player who will eventually be referred to as the steal of the 2016 NBA Draft.
Without any more trades, the Bulls would enter free agency with Butler, Robin Lopez, Taj Gibson, Jose Calderon, Nikola Mirotic, Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott, Tony Snell, Jerian Grant, Bobby Portis, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Cristiano Feliciano on the roster. Chicago owns the No. 14 and 48 picks in Thursday’s draft, which could bring the roster to 14. Calderon might be bought out so that may reduce the number to 13. The Bulls are not likely to be huge factors in free agency this summer, but if they play their cards right and show some progress this season, that could change by the time next July rolls around—and the 2017 free agent class is superior.
Since the Bulls don’t project as big buyers in the free agent market, the 2016 NBA Draft might be their one shot at adding another quality player to its young core. Since Butler is by far the best player on the roster and the rule with wings in the NBA is the more the merrier, Chicago should steer clear of drafting based on need at all costs. If Chicago thinks they could nab a three-and-D wing with star potential late in the draft a la Jimmy Butler—and Timothe Luwawu is still available—this might be the time to take a little bit of a risk. Personally, I won’t be surprised if Luwawu is gone by the time Chicago is selecting—but if the flying Frenchman is there, he might be the type of player on whom the Bulls should take a leap of faith, especially as Joakim Noah—son of Yannick, the last French tennis player to win the French Open—is set to sign elsewhere this summer. Similarly, Domantas Sabonis should be under consideration if he’s still available despite the acquisition of Lopez. There will be no shortage of prospects in the conversation, but a wing with two-way upside makes the most sense from my perspective. It’s not possible for Chicago to replicate what they once had along the wing in Jordan and Pippen, but in a league where players at those positions have become increasingly more valuable, I think the Bulls would be fools to allow Luwawu to slip past the lottery should he still be available.
Chicago is entering a crucial offseason, and they’ve done well so far (minus including Justin Holiday in the Rose trade). But the biggest day of their offseason will undoubtedly be Thursday night in Brooklyn, a mere public transportation-trip away from Madison Square Garden where the Bulls’ former hometown hero will suit up next season. Trying to replace Rose will likely prove futile as the former MVP was a truly special player in his heyday, and this draft is severely lacking in premier point guard prospects (at least in comparison to the upcoming 2017 class).
There’s no need to panic and trade Butler when he is under contract for three more years, and dealing a player of his caliber is a catastrophic move in my mind. If I were running Chicago, I’d go for broke in this draft with the idea in mind being that the Bulls can afford to be patient since the 2017 free agent class and 2017 NBA Draft both project to be much better than those of 2016.
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