Chicago Bulls President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas has a history with international NBA draft prospects. That connection could grow stronger in the 2021 NBA Draft if the Bulls follow a similar approach to the one the team had in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Karnisovas was a part of the Denver Nuggets front office that selected soon-to-be league MVP Nikola Jokic 41st overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Last year, Karnisovas selected Marko Simonovic 44th overall to close out his first draft as the lead man for the Chicago Bulls.
As the NBA season continues through the late stages, the possibility that the Bulls will not be owning their own 2021 first-round draft pick has become very real. While still possible, it is going to take some lottery ball luck if the Bulls are going to retain their first-round pick.
Due to the trade deadline addition of Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls first-rounder in the upcoming draft is owed to the Orlando Magic unless it falls within the first four selections of the draft. It’s not impossible the Bulls get that pick but it is not something they can count on.
What they will have, though, is their second-round pick. They will have the right to swap that pick with the New Orleans Pelicans pick if they desire, meaning they will end up with the better of those two second-round draft selections.
There are a ton of reasons for the Bulls to target an international prospect like they did last season. First, the upside can be through the roof and Karnisovas has displayed at least somewhat of a knack for finding talent internationally.
Second, most second-rounders aren’t going to contribute right away anyway. So drafting a player with upside makes a lot of sense, even if they might not join the NBA roster for a few years. Also, these players could up their value while still playing internationally and by doing so, increase their trade value.
Here is an early look at three international prospects the Bulls front office could target in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Chicago Bulls international prospect target: Roko Prkačin, Cibona (Croatia)
Roko Prkačin is an interesting NBA prospect at the young age of 18 years old. He is a six-foot-nine wing that projects as somewhat of a tweener between the three and the four.
As we all know, the NBA is moving toward a positionless game, and players that are versatile are much more important than players that fit the typical position description. Prkačin is a good player that just needs to be on the court, regardless of which forward spot you want to call it.
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He will need to bulk up most likely but plays a unique game due to his frame and length. Prkačin is a good ball-handler, especially for a player of his size.
The Croatian forward projects as a do it all kind of player that might need more seasoning before he is ready to handle true NBA-level minutes. Still, he could develop into an interesting sixth man and even starter for a team like the Bulls playing alongside current rookie Patrick Williams.
His outside shooting needs some work, but he has shown the ability to knock them down at different times in his young career. In the Adriatic League this season he knocked down the three-point shot at a 39.4 percent clip on three attempts per game.
Due to the unique ability and physical traits he has there seems to be a wide range on where he could go in the NBA draft. If there is one thing we know about Arturas Karnisovas, though, it is that he will go get his guy if his guy is available.
Chicago Bulls international prospect target: Usman Garuba, Real Madrid (Spain)
Usman Garuba might be the hardest prospect for Arturas Karnisovas to get his hands on from this list. The Real Madrid big man could go in the mid to late first round. If he does drop, there is no doubt the Bulls will be considering him.
They may even consider trading up into the first to grab him if the opportunity presents itself. Garuba is just 19 years old and has talent that makes scouts love him with the upside teams covet from any player they spend a draft pick on.
He comes with some risk, naturally, as he really hasn’t seen that many productive minutes recently in comparison to some of the other prospects on this list. Still, the skill set and natural ability on the floor jumps off the screen when you watch him.
He should be able to contribute on the defensive end of the floor from day one in the NBA and that is a huge need for the Bulls. Whether he comes over or not right away is unknown, but either way, the coming years could see him add to his arsenal in a way that would make him a high lottery selection if the draft was done again.
Garuba has the athletic ability and high energy motor to make a difference in transition and attacking the rim. His offense needs fine-tuning, but everything he currently does and the way he plays the game makes him a player to be excited about.
Garuba and Patrick Williams would be a lethal and exciting wing combination for years to come if the Bulls decided to take that route.
Chicago Bulls international prospect target: Filip Petrušev, Mega Bemax (Serbia)
Filip Petrušev is not like most international draft prospects. The Serbian big man played two seasons at the collegiate level, both with Gonzaga, before eventually returning to Europe to play for Mega Bemax.
He dominated in his second season with Gonzaga and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year for his efforts. That season, the 2019-20 college basketball season, saw Petrušev average 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
He returned to Europe after that season and joined Mega Bemax in order to play somewhere he felt would maximize his skill set. Mega Bemax has produced a number of international NBA prospects that have found success in the NBA, including players such as Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Goga Bitadze.
Petrušev also has a connection to the Bulls already as 2020 NBA draft selection Marko Simonovic is a teammate of his in Europe. The two teamed up to form an overwhelming frontcourt in the Adriatic League Liga ABA.
Petrušev led the team in scoring by averaging 23.6 points per game. He has demonstrated an outside shooting stroke and well-rounded offensive arsenal. His added connection to Simonovic makes him a very interesting name to keep an eye on in relation to the Chicago Bulls.
While he isn’t an overwhelming defender he has shown the ability to play solid defense and not be a liability on that end of the floor. Petrušev can play both the power forward and center position which adds versatility to his game.
A frontcourt rotation of Nikola Vucevic, Simonovic and Petrušev would be a handful for opposing defenses to handle. Petrušev is 21 years old and has shown rapid development over the course of the last few years.