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Chicago Bulls at No. 16: Who will they avoid? Who will they consider?

By Idrees Muhammad Kudaimi

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the start of the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the start of the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Donovan Mitchell could be a Chicago Bulls target in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Mar 4, 2017; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with forward Mangok Mathiang (12) during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Notre Dame 71-64. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /

Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville

Mitchell is as close a 3-and-D player in this draft as you can get.

Sure, he’s undersized like Malik Monk for the shooting guard position, but he makes up for it by being a great defender. His total plus/minus was 11.6 this past season, and he shot 35.4 percent from 3-point range, but he shot it a lot, shooting more than six three-pointers per game. Mitchell is the perfect complement to Jimmy Butler, a defensive shooter.

He shoots lower percentages than expected (41.8 percent career total shooting), but he makes up for everything. He is a solid distributor and ball handler (2.7 assists per game) and he forces turnovers (2.1 steals per game). He’s everything the Bulls want. The only issue is that he’s most likely gone by 16. His stock is rising and teams late in the lottery have been strongly connected to him unfortunately.

Mitchell should be the pick at 16 if he’s there (unless someone else unexpectedly falls). But the chances he’s there when the Bulls go on the clock are very low. He’d be a dream pick for the Bulls, but the dream is doubtful at best, unless they trade up.

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