It was announced this week that the Chicago Bulls would own the eighth place tiebreaker in the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, which helps them out a tad bit in the odds to get their first-round pick back. But the Bulls are still facing rather poor odds to get their lottery pick back this year from the Orlando Magic.
How the Magic ended up with the Bulls lottery pick for 2021 in the first place was by way of the trade at the deadline back on March 25 that landed star center Nikola Vucevic in Chicago. The Bulls got Vucevic and veteran forward Al-Farouq Aminu at the trade deadline in exchange for two first-round draft picks, third-year center Wendell Carter Jr., and veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley still look to have made a good move at the deadline by mortgaging a good portion of the Bulls future to give star shooting guard Zach LaVine a true stud running mate. Vooch and Zach should be a good star duo for the Bulls moving forward.
How the Chicago Bulls can use what draft capital they do have to build around Zach LaVine?
What the Bulls do still have this year is a slightly better than 20 percent chance to land in the top four in the lottery and get their pick back from the Magic (per Tankathon odds). The Bulls also hold the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
That’s still enough to potentially make something of for the Bulls. With that in mind, here’s a look into some potential draft targets for the Bulls that could be key pieces around LaVine in the rotation.
Draft targets for the Chicago Bulls to compliment Zach LaVine: Cade Cunningham
This is an obvious one for the Bulls to nab if they somehow luck out in the draft lottery and move into the top four while getting their pick back. If the Bulls were to have a shot at getting the former Oklahoma State Cowboys superstar freshman point guard and the top-ranked 2020 high school prospect in the nation Cade Cunningham, they would likely need to be picking in the top two at a minimum.
It does look like Cunningham is the most common top projected pick for the 2021 draft. But that could still fall to someone like star G-League combo guard Jalen Green or the uber-athletic and potent former USC Trojans big man Evan Mobley.
Moreover, Cunningham was a stud for Oklahoma State last season as they nearly won a Big 12 Championship and made it past the Round of 64 in the “Big Dance” for the first time in nearly a decade. He has a well-rounded game and a frame that makes him a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor, at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds.
Cunningham would give the Bulls a true playmaker and gifted perimeter defender to slot alongside LaVine in the starting five. Without a doubt, this would be a dream scenario for the Bulls to be able to get Cunningham in the draft lottery this year. This is the one draft prospect on this list that taken into consideration the Bulls lucking out and getting their lottery pick back.
Draft targets for the Chicago Bulls to compliment Zach LaVine: Daishen Nix
One of the fast risers up draft boards in the past couple of months is the former G-League Ignite sizable 6-foot-5 and 205-pound point guard Daishen Nix. A former five-star recruit that was once a commitment of the UCLA Bruins, Nix passed on the traditional college route to take his talents straight to the professional ranks.
He played with a team stacked with talent in this NBA Draft class with the Ignite in the G-League bubble this season. Nix played alongside a host of interesting teammates with the Ignite including Green small forward Jonathan Kuminga, and the 37-year-old former NBA journeyman point guard Jarrett Jack.
Nix had flashes of brilliance during his one season playing in the G-League. But there’s also a number of areas where he still must improve his game moving forward. Namely, he was a solid rebounder and distributor for Ignite while playing at the one. That is something the Bulls really need in their backcourt rotation over the long haul.
Shooting well under 20 percent from deep was something that was not a positive mark from the season that was for Nix in the G-League. He also shot well below 40 percent from the field. But he was a good perimeter defender, averaging just over one steal per game. And he averaged more than five assists and five rebounds per game.
There’s a good chance that Nix could still be on the board when the Bulls pick in the second round of the 2021 draft. And Nix could be a good long-term fit for them alongside LaVine, second-year point guard Coby White, etc., in the backcourt.
Draft targets for the Chicago Bulls to compliment Zach LaVine: Ayo Dosunmu
Among the top players in the entire country in college hoops last season was the 6-foot-5 and 200 pound Illinois Fighting Illini point guard and the junior former elite five-star recruit Ayo Dosunmu. An Illinois team that did have an early postseason exit did boast a good bit of NBA-caliber talent on the roster in the season that was.
As a very realistic potential second-round draft pick for the Bulls this summer, Dosunmu should be a target already on the board for Karnisovas and Eversley. The Chicago, IL, native is clearly a local product for the Bulls and one that could help bolster the depth in the backcourt rotation right away. He would also give the Bulls a good amount of intriguing young talent at point guard, between him and Devon Dotson.
The Consensus All-American and 2020-21 Big Ten Tournament MVP is likely to fall off of draft boards in the early-to-middle picks in the second round. Dosunmu would also give LaVine some support in terms of an offensive facilitator, and he is a more than good enough perimeter contender to play well on that end of the floor.
Dosunmu consistently improved his game on both ends of the floor during his three seasons playing for the Fighting Illini. He averaged roughly 20 points per game, six rebounds, six assists, and just over one steal during his last season at Illinois. And the advanced metrics (posted a defensive box plus/minus rating at a career-high 3.2 last season) constantly proved how much better of a defender he was over the past two years.