Chicago Bulls: Miles McBride emerging as legit draft target

Now well under two weeks away from the start of the 2021 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls are gearing up for what could be a quiet night on July 29. The Bulls only hold the 38th overall pick in the second round of the draft, making it what will likely be a much quieter year than the front office had last fall. That is unless the Bulls try to go out and make a draft-night trade to move up or acquire more pieces to help the current roster.

Considering the lofty need to right the ship for this franchise at the point guard position, that could be one area that the Bulls look in this draft. Despite the lack of probability that a second-round pick would be the Bulls’ point guard of the future, it could be a nice insurance policy behind whoever actually becomes the face of the franchise at the position.

An emerging option that the Bulls could legitimately consider with the 38th overall pick in the 2021 draft is the former West Virginia Mountaineers standout sophomore point guard and Cincinnati, OH, native Miles McBride. The 6-foot-2 and 200-pound McBride is a former Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection and received All-Big 12 Second-Team honors last season.

As one of the faster-rising guards up draft boards at the moment, McBride is one to watch for Bulls’ fans ahead of draft night. And he’s rising up draft boards for a good reason given how he progressed during his sophomore campaign at West Virginia.

McBride is one of the more polished and defensively capable two-way point guards that could fall outside of the lottery in this draft class.

Miles McBride should be a consideration for the Chicago Bulls in the 2021 NBA Draft

During his sophomore campaign with the Mountaineers, he averaged a career-best 15.9 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks. And he shot 43.1 percent from the field, 41.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.3 percent from the free-throw line.

At this point, it looks like McBride could wind up going as a mid-second round pick. Some big boards have him up as high as the early 30s among prospects in this draft class. His stock could continue to rise heading into draft night after a solid showing at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine last month.

McBride will be 21 years old at the outset of the 2021-22 season, so he is not one of the younger prospects in this draft class. But he is one of the more physically gifted. He measured in with a standing reach of around 8-foot-4, and his wingspan is an impressive 6-foot-9.

If someone like the former Illinois Fighting Illini star point guard Ayo Dosunmu or Baylor Bears two-way stud Davion Mitchell could go in the first round of the 2021 draft, McBride shouldn’t fall too far behind them. He’s got a similar skillset to both of them, also with good physical tools and overall athleticism.

McBride has a well-rounded offensive game since he distributes the ball well, can effectively create his own shots, and is an effective catch-and-shooter guard from downtown. His incredible progress as a primary ball-handler and shooter are highlighted by the jump of more than 10 percentage points over the past two seasons in his assist percentage and three-point shooting percentage, respectively.

He’s also got a strong enough frame to bully his way into the lane, which also allows him to get to the free-throw line at a decent rate. McBride had a free-throw attempt rate around 35.0 percent for his two years at West Virginia.

Defensively, McBride could be a huge help for head coach Billy Donovan to hold up better on the perimeter. He could also be a help to better matchup with opposing guards on the Bulls’ bench than someone like second-year point guard Coby White or combo guard Tomas Satoransky.

Adding him to the mix would give Donovan and the Bulls more matchup options to succeed game-in and game-out.

It’s easy to see how McBride could bring a ton of value to the table for Donovan and the Bulls heading into next season. He doesn’t look to be a prospect with too high of a ceiling, but someone with gifted physical tools and standout defensive ability like him also has a high floor.

The last time that the Bulls held the 38th overall pick in the NBA Draft, they picked up the former Arkansas Razorbacks big man Daniel Gafford back in 2019. That picked turned out well, granted he’s now with the Washington Wizards. The hope will be for more second-round success for the Bulls at 38 this year.