A handful of top tier 2020 NBA Draft targets stick out for the Chicago Bulls that could be worth trading up or down for this offseason.
One of the most crucial parts of the 2020 offseason in the Chicago Bulls camp is going to be the NBA Draft. The caught a nice stroke of luck and landed the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, jumping up three spots in the odds. To get in the top four in the draft lottery, the Bulls had just a 32.0 percent chance. They also went into draft lottery night with less than an eight percent chance of getting the first overall pick.
But this will be the first time that the Bulls pick in the top four of the NBA Draft since they lucked out and got point guard Derrick Rose first overall in 2008. With all of the changes ownership made within the organization so far this offseason, landing the fourth overall pick in this draft presents a tremendous opportunity to get the rebuild off the ground heading into next season.
To spark all of those significant changes within the organization this offseason, ownership parted ways entirely with former general manager Gar Forman and then demoted former vice president of basketball operations John Paxson. Now Paxson is in more of a senior advisor role.
The Bulls replaced the infamous GarPax regime with former Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas as the executive VP of basketball operations and ex-Philadelphia 76ers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley as general manager. Karnisovas and Eversley have a lot of options this offseason as to what they can do with their roster construction and draft picks, but they must get it right.
Here’s a look into three prospects that would be worth the Bulls trading (up or down) for in the 2020 draft.
3) Chicago Bulls draft targets to trade for: Devin Vassell
The Bulls do have the opportunity to knock out two birds with one stone in this draft if they were to ponder trading down to land a top-tier wing in this class. There’s a few wings in this class coming out of the college hoops ranks that should be intriguing to this new front office regime in the Windy City.
One of those wings that could both fill a positional need while giving the Bulls the best player available on the board, if they were to correctly time trading down in the first round, is the former Florida State Seminoles sophomore star small forward/shooting guard Devin Vassell. There’s a lot to like about the skill set that Vassell could bring to the table for the Bulls.
During his time at Florida State, Vassell proved that he can be a solid fit in the modern NBA as a true three-and-D wing. The 6-foot-6 and 200 pound Suwanee, GA, native received 2019-20 First-Team All-ACC honors after a breakthrough sophomore campaign. Vassell played in 30 games (all of which he started in) for the Noles during the 2019-20 season.
He averaged 12.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Vassell shot 49.0 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Vassell should be available heading into the mid-to-late portion of the draft lottery picks. If there is a chance that the Bulls could trade down to the early teens to get him, or if they could package some other pieces together to do so, it would be worth the move.
2) Chicago Bulls draft targets to trade for: LaMelo Ball
Maybe one of the best overall prospects that could be available between picks two and four in the 2020 NBA Draft class is the former Illawarra Hawks NBL 6-foot-7 point guard LaMelo Ball. Multiple teams are likely to be after LaMelo in this draft, but the Bulls sit in a really advantageous spot if they want to get him to the Windy City.
If feels like the team that would be most likely to use their pick to leverage a trade with another squad for LaMelo would be the Golden State Warriors, sitting with the No. 2 slot in the lottery. The Warriors have a group that can still contend immediately to win an NBA Championship in the near future, and they don’t really need the No. 2 pick. Another team like the Bulls, New York Knicks, or Charlotte Hornets, might want to trade up to get Ball.
The Bulls are a team that could still use a potential star in the NBA like Ball. They would have to pair him possibly alongside the rookie former North Carolina Tar Heels guard Coby White, but that could be a backcourt that works well together. It’s hard to tell now how exactly a backcourt with either White or shooting guard Zach LaVine would pair with LaMelo.
Nonetheless, if it’s a move that doesn’t cost the Bulls all too much, then they should really ponder what it would take to get LaMelo. One thing that the Bulls could use use so than almost anything else is a star. White could still be a star in the making, but it’s way too early to tell how his career will play out with this team.
1) Chicago Bulls draft targets to trade for: Isaac Okoro
The aforementioned possibility of the Bulls trading down in the first round to be in a spot where they could both land the best player left on the board and fill a positional need is also something that could be accomplished with this next wing on the list. Former Auburn Tigers standout freshman small forward Isaac Okoro is one of the top wing prospects in this draft class.
This 6-foot-6 and 225 pound former five-star recruit and Powder Springs, GA, native is a wing that has one of the higher floors and higher ceilings in this draft class. There are definitely aspects of Okoro’s game that need work, but his two-way ability is unquestioned. Just improve his outside shooting, occasional poor decision making on offense and in transition, and hit the offensive glass harder, and you’ll get a wing in Okoro that will be a quality starter for a long time.
Okoro played in 28 games during his freshman campaign with Auburn (all of which he started in). He averaged 12.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks. Okoro shot 51.4 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The points that Okoro could show a bit better effort rebounding the ball, and needs to progress with his shooting from three-point range and the free-throw line are highlighting in those basic per game stats. But his great on-ball defense, gifted physical tools, and versatile offensive arsenal from within the two-point arc are solidified strengths for Okoro.