The Chicago Bulls have drafted 7th overall the last two years. They entered Thursdays lottery projected to get the 7th pick yet again, but finally got the bounces they needed. The Bulls moved up during the NBA draft lottery to the 4th overall selection.
After another disappointing season, the Bulls began an off-season of changes after not making the cut for the NBA bubble. First, they shook up the front office. Arturas Karnisovas was brought in as the new Executive Vice President of basketball operations. He rejuvenated a front office that was in great need of a revamp.
Most recently, Jim Boylen was fired. Now that they have the 4th pick, they know what the next step will be in their off-season of overhaul. The 4th pick is a great asset, and it ensures a few things right off the bat.
Draft Flexibility
The Bulls roster is under evaluation by the new front office. It’s built with young talent, but those players were drafted under the previous front office. Further, none of the current players project as that ‘franchise-changing’ type player. Coby White flashed late in the season this year, and Lauri Markkanen has shown he could be a very good PF in the league. There’s a lot of upside remaining with both players, as well as Wendell Carter, Jr. That being said, the Bulls need to add the best player possible to their core.
Karnisovas ensured they would do exactly that already.
AK on our No. 4 selection: “I’ve never picked this high. I’ll let it play out. We’re doing a bunch of rankings – by the time our draft comes, we’ll have our draft board, a lot of opinions, minimize the noise, and pick the player that’s best available on the board.”
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 21, 2020
At pick number four, the best available player on the board is a game-changer (Assuming the scouting department gets it right). If the player they select doesn’t fit alongside what they already have, that opens up even more avenues for the front office to explore. This would give Karnisovas additional opportunities to build the Bulls roster in his vision. It’s always best to not be locked into one position or need in the NBA draft, and the Bulls have confirmed they will not be.
Trade Bait
New management is always going to enter their first off-season with an aggressive approach. It’s their first opportunity to begin constructing the franchise in their vision.
Naturally, that will involve hearing out all offers from opposing front offices, including ones that include the 4th overall pick. Karnisovas has many options on how he can add talent to this team, and drafting at 4 is only one of them. He can add future assets by moving down, acquire an established talent built around a package including the 4th pick, or even try moving up in the draft to get one of the top three prospects in this class.
For the new shot-caller in the Chicago Bulls organization, the more routes to improving the roster that are available, the better. By acquiring the 4th overall pick in the draft, Chicago’s assets have strengthened.
Bulls Have Options
The key takeaway from the lottery for the Chicago Bulls is that they have options. After years of treading water with an uncertain long-term outlook, the Bulls are in a position to solidify their direction. There’s reason to be excited in the Windy City.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Garrett Brooks on Twitter @Garrett_Brooks1
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
