Chicago Bulls: Players Passed on for Denzel Valentine — Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon, like Murray, has an argument for steal of the 2016 NBA Draft. The guard was selected 36th overall out of Virginia and has been an impact player for the Milwaukee Bucks and now is one for the Indiana Pacers.
He entered the league as a double-digit scorer and has been one in all five of his NBA seasons so far. It is surprising to see a second-rounder ready to make such an impact, but Brogdon certainly was. Not only did he appear in 75 games in his first season, but he also started 28 of those games.
Brogdon has become well known for his two-way ability as well as his shooting proficiency. Multiple times in his short NBA career he has shot above 40 percent from behind the arc. He is also a lights-out shooter from the free-throw line and plays a smart offensive game that has led to a season shooting the ball above 50 percent from a backcourt position.
That is a big reason he earned a massive pay raise during his first opportunity to hit the free-agent market. The Indiana Pacers saw value in him and were even willing to give up draft compensation to make a sign and trade deal work.
Brogdon was a three-year starter and four-year player at Virginia, explaining some of the reason he dropped in the NBA Draft. Teams love a player with potential and will often times overreact to a player being a few years older.
Still, as Valentine proves, a player that is a bit older can certainly be taken in the NBA lottery. The Chicago Bulls wish they would have gone with a different older prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft class.