Chicago Bulls: Top 15 draft picks in franchise history

The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks consummated a big trade in 2005, with Eddy Curry as the centerpiece of the deal. Among the moving parts of the deal was the Bulls’ right to swap picks with the Knicks in 2007.

While the 2006-07 Bulls won 49 games to give them the 23rd draft position, the Knicks stumbled to a 33-49 record and the ninth pick. With Chicago getting the ninth pick due to the swap, Joakim Noah became a Bull.

Noah entered the league after winning two consecutive national championships at Florida. He may have gone No. 1 if he came out in 2006 after the first national title, but the entire Gators starting five returned to repeat. Although returning hurt his draft stock, his loss was the Bulls’ gain.

Noah was a bit rough around the edges in his first few years. Always known for his relentless energy defensively and on the glass, his offensive game was limited, highlighted by an ugly jumper that became to be known as the “Tornado.”

Still, Noah’s skill level was on display during one of the most iconic plays in recent Bulls history:

When Tom Thibodeau came around, Noah became the linchpin of the NBA’s premier defense for several seasons. Noah earned All-Star selections in 2013 and 2014. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and earned first-team All-NBA honors that same year. He even finished fourth in MVP voting that season.

Noah’s offensive game had improved over the years, but it was during this time that it fully blossomed. With Derrick Rose’s injury woes dealing a blow to the Bulls’ offense, Thibodeau decided to run the offense through Noah instead. Noah notched four straight seasons in which he handed out 3.8 assists per game or more, peaking in that 2013-14 campaign when he recorded 5.4 assists per contest.

Noah was the heart and soul of these Bulls teams, and he wasn’t hesitant to play through pain. In the 2013 playoffs, the big man played through a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis to lead a short-handed Bulls team to an upset win over the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. He had 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks in Game 7.

Injuries ultimately derailed Noah’s Bulls career, and they let him walk in 2016 when the New York Knicks gave him a huge four-year deal. After nine seasons in Chicago, he ranks first in offensive rebounds, third in blocks and fourth in total rebounds.