Chicago Bulls: Winners and losers on a draft night with upside
By Willie Lutz
WINNER: John Paxson
Despite pressure to move up to both the #4 and #5 picks, the Bulls head decision maker held on to his assets and still ended up with one of the best players that could’ve fallen to them with the seventh pick. John Paxson had the perfect pick in Coby White at No. 7 fall right into his hands, giving him a long-term answer at point guard.
While other teams sacrificed picks and future assets to acquire players that could’ve fallen to them anyway, the Bulls were a fortress; the never let the league-wide commotion get ahead of them. Incredibly, 22 of the 30 teams made a move on draft night, but the Bulls stood strong and ended up with an impressive duo of picks.
With their No. 7 pick in the draft, the Bulls checked off the biggest box on their offseason to-do list. Using the No. 38 pick on Daniel Gafford, the Bulls found an athletic big to give their star bigs a complimentary player off the bench.
Overall, Paxson gave himself a really good team to build around heading into free agency. The team will need some guard help and as the league youngest roster, some veteran help across the board. In an offseason with a lot of veteran options available for affordable contracts, responsible spending choices could help the Bulls contend for a playoff spot this season.