Grading Chicago Bulls 2020 draft picks/UDFA’s
It is an understatement to say that the former Bulls front office regime of GarPax didn’t really value second round draft picks (outside of the drafting of center Daniel Gafford 38th overall last year), let alone undrafted free agents. The Bulls never really took advantage of the undrafted free agent signing market right after the NBA Draft took place. There were signings that happened among undrafted free agents ahead of Training Camp and the Las Vegas Summer League, but those happen well after the regularly scheduled draft night on any normal year.
This is a nice change of pace for the Bulls to get what seems like a solid second round draft pick in Simonovic and a really valuable and underrated undrafted free agent signing in the former Kansas Jayhawks star sophomore point guard Devon Dotson. It’s hard to argue that Dotson wasn’t at least one of the top three or top five undrafted free agents on the board in the hours following the conclusion of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 21-year-old 6-foot-2 and 185 pound Charlotte, NC, native Dotson was a very accomplished floor general during his two years with the Jayhawks. He earned 2019 All-Big 12 Tournament Team honors, two All-Big 12 Team selections, and AP All-American honors last season.
During the shortened 2019-20 college hoops season, Dotson played in 30 games for the Jayhawks (all of which he started in). And he averaged 18.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.1 steals, and 0.1 blocks. Dotson shot 46.8 percent from the field, 30.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Outside of some shooting concerns from deep, and issues that some scouts and media pundits had with Dotson’s age and size, he’s a really solid prospect. Most had Dotson falling as an early second round pick, even as high as a late first round selection. He’s a good one-on-one defender, very quick off the dribble, and has improved his shot selection (despite a poor three-point shooting percentage last season).