Depending on how the Bulls guard depth situation looks at the outset of the offseason, then it could radically shake up the needs the front office looks into in the second round of this year’s draft. The Bulls have the likes of Shaquille Harrison, Kris Dunn, and Denzel Valentine up for free agency. And Tomas Satoransky could be out the door if the front office doesn’t buy into him the same way GarPax did.
If the Bulls do need to add depth in the guard rotation through the NBA Draft route, then looking into the Kentucky Wildcats 6-foot-3 and 190 pound Havre De Grace, MD, native combo guard Immanuel Quickley. The reigning SEC Player of the Year is a former five-star recruit that is likely to fall as a second round pick, but could realistically compare in parts to the Oklahoma City Thunder young and promising standout guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
During his sophomore campaign at Kentucky, Quickley averaged 16.1 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 42.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 92.3 percent from the charity stripe. He produced a 7.2 box plus/minus rating, .192 win shares per 40 minutes, 59.5 true shooting percentage, and 20.4 player efficiency rating.
Quickley fits very well into the modern NBA as a very good shooter from range and an incredibly consistent free-throw shooter. A career free-throw attempt rate in college around 46.0 percent is solid, and a lot of his skill set should translate immediately to the NBA. A defensive rating from Kentucky above 100 and getting lulled to sleep off-ball on defense regularly are downsides that Quickley will need to work on.
This would be a thoroughly impressive find if the Bulls nabbed Quickley in the second round of this draft.