The 2020 NBA Draft will be a time when the Chicago Bulls can improve at a position of need if they get more tactical and trade down for a solid prospect.
The 2020 NBA Draft was supposed to take place in mid-October this offseason, but that is likely to now be pushed back. With that, the Chicago Bulls could get even more time to determine what they are going to do with the fourth overall pick in this draft. The Bulls lucked out a bit by landing the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, which occurred back on Aug. 20.
It took the Bulls jumping up three spots in the lottery odds order to land the fourth overall pick. They were one of two teams that landed in the top four that had to catch a good bit of luck to do so. The Charlotte Hornets actually lucked out more than the Bulls in this draft lottery, as they jumped up five spots in the order to get the third overall pick.
At the outset of draft lottery night, the Bulls had a 32.0 percent chance to even land in the top four. And the Hornets had a 26.3 percent chance to get in the top four (both according to Tankathon odds).
The top five (in order from top-to-bottom) includes the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Hornets, Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had about the worst luck of the draft lottery, as they were the only team in the top 10 to fall three spots in the lottery odds order. The Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks also all dropped down two spots in the lottery, which made room for the jump for the Bulls and Hornets.
With the fourth overall pick in hand, the Bulls have a plethora of options for where they could go in the 2020 draft. If they elected to trade down to get a few other assets, which draft prospects would be worth doing so?
3) Chicago Bulls draft targets worth trading down for: Devin Vassell, SG/SF
The Florida State Seminoles cannot be thrilled about the amount of talent they’re losing from an ACC regular season title-winning team from last season. Maybe the most important part of last year’s Florida State men’s hoops team that they’re losing by way of an early entrant to the 2020 NBA Draft is the 6-foot-7 and 195 pound shooting guard/small forward Devin Vassell.
Vassell played two seasons with the Florida State program before declaring early for the 2020 draft. He was an All-ACC selection for the first time in his career during the 2019-20 season. To get those honors, he stood out in the 30 games he played in (all of which he started). He registered 12.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks.
And Vassell shot 49.0 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.8 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a sparkling 10.9 box plus/minus rating (the same as his freshman season), career-best .218 win shares per 40 minutes, and a 58.5 true shooting percentage.
As the shooting ability, off-ball awareness, and shot selection of Vassell continued to improve last season compared to his freshman campaign, so too did his draft stock. He is the ideal three-and-D threat that a team with a positional need on the wing like the Bulls is looking for. His defense is pretty good both on and off-ball. And he can thrive in a pick-and-roll offense given his solid shooting ability and impressive physical tools/quickness (has a 6-foot-11 wingspan).
This is a prospect that really would be worth the Bulls trading down for if he was available somewhere between the 10-12 draft slots.
2) Chicago Bulls draft targets worth trading down for: RJ Hampton, CG
There were mixed results that NBA scouts saw from the former highly touted five-star recruit and 19-year-old 6-foot-5 and 180 pound combo guard RJ Hampton in the NBL last season. Hampton elected to forego the traditional college hoops route, and took his talents overseas to play for the New Zealand Breakers for one season.
Hampton played in 15 games in the season that was for the Breakers in the NBL (averaging just over 20 minutes per game). He averaged 15.4 points per 36 minutes, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Hampton shot 40.7 percent from the field, 29.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line.
The shooting percentage just have to get better for Hampton. His offensive arsenal is one of the biggest pluses for his skill set, but part of it just didn’t translate in his one season playing overseas in the NBL in Australia. The skill set of Hampton has a long ways to go overall, but shot creation, facilitating ability, and quickness and court vision in transition are some of the big positives in his game.
If the Bulls were to pick Hampton, he would be more of a long-term project and insurance policy in case former North Carolina Tar Heels point guard Coby White didn’t wind up working out for them. His overall athleticism, on and off-ball potential on defense, and promising offensive skill set makes him a good underrated draft target if the Bulls were able to trade down far enough to snag him, likely in the lottery.
1) Chicago Bulls draft targets worth trading down for: Isaac Okoro, SF
That aforementioned need that the Bulls have to add wing depth to this roster is going to really come to the forefront in the NBA Draft and this cycle of free agency. They have to do something to add depth to this rotation on the wing behind the likes of veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr. OPJ is just too injury prone in the last two seasons to otherwise trust he’ll hold up during the 2020-21 campaign.
A great option for the Bulls to look to in this draft class, that has a pretty high floor and tremendously high upside considering he might not be a top six prospect, is former Auburn Tigers true freshman small forward Isaac Okoro. This 6-foot-6 and 225 pound Powder Springs, GA, native played in 28 games in the season that was for Auburn (all of which he started in).
In those 28 games played, Okoro averaged 12.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He shot 51.4 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.2 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a 6.3 box plus/minus rating, .156 win shares per 40 minutes, and a 58.7 true shooting percentage.
If Okoro can improve his three-point shot, to at least get around 33-35 percent early in his pro career, then he could be a real two-way wing threat for a team that needs one like the Bulls. His defensive upside is insane, as are his physical tools, rebounding ability, and lateral quickness. If he is available between picks six and 10, then the Bulls should really explore the idea of trading down to land Okoro.