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Chicago Bulls: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

By Luke Askew

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 14: Jimmy Butler #21 and Doug McDermott #3 of the Chicago Bulls react after a made basket against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 14, 2016 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bulls defeated the 76ers 115-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 14: Jimmy Butler #21 and Doug McDermott #3 of the Chicago Bulls react after a made basket against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 14, 2016 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bulls defeated the 76ers 115-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images) /

Like every NBA team, the Chicago Bulls have made some excellent first-round picks and some terrible ones. Here’s how their last 10 stack up against one another.

The Chicago Bulls have a spotty NBA draft history. They’ve gotten lucky a few times (Michael Jordan falling to no. 3, winning the Derrick Rose lottery, etc.), they’ve made some really smart decisions (drafting Jimmy Butler), and they’ve made some really dumb decisions (trading Jordan Bell’s draft rights for cash considerations).

None of that makes the Bulls unique. Every team has made good decisions, bad decisions and fallen into some level of luck. So let’s focus on what the Bulls have done recently. Let’s rank their last 10 first-round picks.

A couple important notes:

  • If the Bulls drafted a player with the intention of trading him (e.g., Justin Patton in 2017), he is not considered for this list.
  • If a different team drafted a player with the intention of trading him to the Bulls (e.g., Lauri Markkanen in 2017), that player does count as a pick for the Bulls on this list.

Let’s get started.

10. Marquis Teague

  • Draft year: 2012 
  • Pick: 29

Marquis Teague had a nice freshman season at Kentucky prior to being drafted by the Bulls late in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He started alongside Anthony Davis and helped lead Kentucky to an NCAA Championship. He’s struggled to find the same success on the NBA level.

Teague played a total of 67 games with the Bulls before getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets. In those 67 games, he averaged 2.1 points in 9.5 minutes per game. He’s currently in the G League.

9. Tony Snell

  • Draft year: 2013
  • Pick: 20

Tony Snell didn’t exactly turn into the upper-level role player I thought he would turn into, but it’s not like he’s had a bad career. He gave the Bulls three solid seasons as a low-minutes, low-usage wing, and now he’s turned into a guy that playoff teams would love to stash on their bench.

Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Snell is a guy that can come in and defend multiple positions. He’s a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter (three of his last four seasons have been over 40 percent). He didn’t end up making a huge impact on the Bulls, but he’s only 28 years old. There’s still plenty of time for him.

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