5. Brandon Clarke
Brandon Clarke has had a monster season since transferring from San Jose State to Gonzaga. Clarke had the block heard around the world against Tennessee. That is where Clarke’s NBA value is going to come. At 6’7” with great leaping ability, Clarke has really good defensive tools.
He’s a great weak-side defender and has great timing on Blocks. He can switch on the perimeter with good lateral ability as well as protect the rim. Those types of players are a must in the NBA for a big.
He’s not much of creator for himself or for others, but for a Bulls team that allows 111.9 points per 100 possessions, getting a switchable player like Clarke on defense would be a great get. Clarke can be a great energy guy off the bench or even a spot starter if an injury occurred. Jackson Hoy of TheStepien.com had this to say about Clarke’s face-up game: “He is very coordinated and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor even though he lacks advanced dribble moves.” If teams hedge on LaVine then dumping it down to Clarke in the mid-range era and allowing him to make a play is a good fallback plan.