RokDeez Bulls Blog

Hello folks.

You might have noticed I’ve been a bit absent from the blogging scene for the last couple months. I’ve been recovering from a severe illness that left me stranded in the hospital for a while. I’m doing much, much better now, and last weeks trade of Alex Caruso really fired up the old blogging itch.

Today is the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, a draft in which the Chicago Bulls have the 11th overall pick. It may not be the only pick they end up taking on Draft Night, because rumors are swirling that the Bulls are interested in trading up, back, and possibly sideways to get more picks.

The draft experts are not thrilled with the talent pool of available players eligible to be selected this year. There is no standout superstar for everyone to swoon over. What this draft class has, is a lot of projects that could become half-way decent NBA rotation players.

This is the kind of draft Arturas Karnisovas dreams of. It’s full of half developed players that may never see an NBA court. Sure, Dalton Knecht can score convincingly from all three levels, but he can’t play a lick of defense. Yes, Cody Williams has the physical attributes and instincts of a 3-and-D wing, but he can’t consistently hit a jumper. The draft is full of these one trick pony kind of players. Whoever AK picks at number 11, it’s like he has a get out of jail free card, nobody expects much from this draft class, so if his pick fails it’ll be hard to hold him accountable.

The Bulls have been linked to several different prospects in this draft. The two most notable names are Devin Carter, a sweet shooting guard out of Providence, and Donovan Clingan, the defensive big out of the University of Connecticut. Whispers of a team (most likely the Bulls) giving Carter a draft promise have been circulating for weeks, and it sounds like the Bulls have been trying to trade for a top 5 pick to take Clingan.

It’s no secret the Bulls are in need of depth at the center position. Andre Drummond is poised to test the free agent market, and Nikola Vucevic is starting to feel the effects of Father Time. A prospect like Clingan, or Purdue’s Zach Edey, or even Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, could be a solid pick in this draft.

The thing about the Bulls is, they really need a superstar. They have a decent roster of supporting players, but nobody is an elite level player. I guess the front office might argue that DeMar DeRozan is that elite player. He has been the best player on the Bulls for the last 3 seasons, but he is an aging star whose best days are behind him, and is also on the brink of free agency.

The Bulls should be looking to draft the “Best Available” prospect at whatever position, with whatever pick(s) they end up with.

Other names that have been floated as possible Bulls draft targets include, Matas Buzelis, a local wing that played for the G-League Ignite last season, Tristan De Silva, another wing out of Colorado, and Kyle Filipowski, a big that played for Duke.

I haven’t done much research on this group of prospects cuz of the nearly dying earlier this year, but I’m pretty sure there will a player or two from this draft that will find their way in the NBA and have a pretty good career. However, I don’t have any faith that the Bulls front office can identify those players or draft and develop them.

Of all the draft picks AK and Marc Eversley have taken in their 4 years running the Bulls, only Ayo Dosunmu seems to have lived up to or exceeded expectations. Patrick Williams is a polarizing player that could become worthy of being picked number 4 overall in his draft, but he hasn’t really lived up to that spot, at least not yet.

As for me, I like Devin Carter. He’s a very good shooter from beyond the arc. If I was running an NBA team I would make sure everyone on my roster was shooting at least 40% from beyond the three point line, and Carter fits that bill.

My hope for today is that the front office is able to unload Zach LaVine in a draft day trade. I hope it’s already lined up and ready to go. It’s the only reason I’d have traded Alex Caruso last week, if I knew I was going to be able to trade Zach today. But this is the Chicago Bulls we’re talking about, and they don’t usually have their ducks lined up that neatly.

As it stands, the Bulls have way too many guards on their roster: Coby White, Ayo, LaVine, Josh Giddey, Jevon Carter, and Lonzo Ball. That’s a lot of guards. I know Billy Donovan enjoys running out 3 guard lineups, but 2 of those 6 should probably be out the door. And if they pick Carter at #11…?

I don’t want to write this because it might come true, there might be a blockbuster trade involving a Bulls guard tonight, and it might not be Zach LaVine.

After Alex Caruso, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are probably the two most valuable players on the Bulls in terms of trade value. You might be able to finagle a sign-and-trade for DeRozan or Patrick Williams this offseason. Lonzo Ball may never play basketball again, but a team might trade for his expiring contract. Jevon Carter had a horrible season and tanked his value. Nobody seems to want Zach or Nikola Vucevic. Coby and Ayo are the two remaining players with any intrinsic worth.

God I pray they don’t trade Coby or Ayo, but this is the Bulls we’re talking about.

Until they do, thanks for reading, thanks for subscribing, and GO BULLS!