BR says Chicago Bulls should trade up to draft LaMelo Ball

Is there any way that it makes sense for the Chicago Bulls to figure out a trade to move up in the first round of the 2020 draft and get LaMelo Ball?

The time is drawing very near for the Chicago Bulls to figure out what their pecking order of plans are for the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery. They got pretty lucky a little less than two months back when they landed the fourth overall pick in the draft lottery, jumping up three spots in the odds order. The Bulls and Charlotte Hornets were by far the two teams in the lottery that got luckiest with their picks. The Hornets are picking at third overall, just ahead of the Bulls.

Figuring out how draft plans stack up this year for the Bulls means knowing which prospects they put the highest priority on getting in the first round. A name that is pretty often discussed now as being one of the first two or three players off the board in the 2020 draft is the 6-foot-7 and 185 pound 19-year-old Illawarra Hawks point guard LaMelo Ball.

LaMelo played his one season leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft overseas with the Hawks in the NBL in Australia. He did get injured before the conclusion of the 2019-20 NBL season and wound up heading back to the states early. He averaged 17.0 points per game, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks, in 12 games played in the NBL during the 2019-20 season.

The Bulls would certainly be an alluring fit with LaMelo, especially if they want to take out an insurance policy on former North Carolina Tar Heels point guard Coby White.

Bleacher Report also apparently has a writer that thinks that Ball would be a good fit with the Bulls too. In a piece from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report from last week, it was mentioned that the Bulls are one of a few teams that he thinks should consider trading up to land LaMelo if they get the chance.

Here’s more on what this Bleacher Report piece had to say on the matter pertaining to the Bulls.

"After ranking No. 29 in the NBA in offense, the Chicago Bulls may want to improve their passing. An offense that ran through scorers Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Coby White didn’t work. Chicago would be an ideal landing spot for Ball, who could play to his strengths as a playmaker without having to hunt or force shots in a lineup that has other creators and shot-makers.The question for Chicago is what it will take to move up two or three spots. The most likely name to be thrown into talks would be Markkanen. His shooting should interest Golden State and Minnesota, and his lack of improvement may make Chicago question whether he’s worth investing in long-term.Ideally for the Bulls, the Warriors and Timberwolves admire a veteran like Thaddeus Young, who Chicago could pair with the No. 4 pick to move up in a deal."

Later on in this piece, it was pitched by Wasserman that the Bulls even consider the idea of trading the Golden State Warriors for the second overall draft pick along with small forward Andrew Wiggins to move up and get Ball. That would certainly change a lot about what the Bulls are facing with their 15-man roster heading into the 2020-21 season.

The Bulls do need to land a true star to build around in the near future if this rebuild is to really move in the right direction. Could it be someone like Ball or White, or another key piece of their current young core at hand?

Other names like shooting guard Zach LaVine, power forward Lauri Markkanen, and/or center Wendell Carter Jr. could still hypothetically fit that role if they really breakthrough soon.

The Bulls have made significant changes to both the front office and coaching staff since the outset of their portion of the 2020 offseason. That was much needed considering they finished up the shortened 2019-20 regular season with a record of 22-43, good for 11th place in the final Eastern Conference standings.