Chicago Bulls: 4 reasons Deni Avdija is the Perfect Draft Pick
By Nick Porr
As the NBA Draft fast approaches, The Chicago Bulls should be looking towards taking Israeli standout Deni Avdija with the No. 4 overall pick.
There are plenty of players entering the 2020 Draft who have already become well known: from the youngest Ball brother LaMelo, to Dayton standout Obi Toppin. One name that is not mentioned in the same breath, but should be, is Israeli standout Deni Avdija. The 19 year-old wing has spent the past two seasons playing for European club Macabbi Tel Aviv, and is a perfect fit for the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago lucked out in this years draft, moving up to the Fourth pick during the draft lottery. This is the Bulls highest selection since they took Derrick Rose first overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
There’s a lot of weight to this pick; it’s been four seasons since the Bulls last made the playoffs, and following the firing of Jim Boylen, there’s plenty of hope amongst fans that the 2021 season could finally be when the rebuild takes its next steps towards contention.
The suggestion that the Bulls should take a foreign talent instead of a “better known” prospect coming out of the NCAA make seem strange to some. So far, there have only been four NBA players to come from Israel, most notable of which being former Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings role player Omri Casspi.
European players seem to only have two career outcomes: Stardom (Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, etc.) or bust (Dragan Bender, Mario Herzonja, and more). Many fans and analysts see taking international players as a risk because of this, but here’s four reasons that the Bulls should go all in and take Avdija with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft in November.