The Chicago Bulls have been a poster child for NBA mediocrity over the last five seasons, and one bizarre link to the 2020 NBA Draft helps illustrate why. Patrick Williams, Isaac Okoro and Jalen Smith — three of that class's most disappointing players — somehow made their way onto Chicago's roster at the same time.
Bulls fans don't need a rehashing of Williams' story: The No. 4 pick who never lived up to expectations yet somehow got a $90 million contract extension for it.
Okoro was picked one spot after Williams. Chicago acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer in a trade that sent Lonzo Ball the other way.
Smith was drafted 10th overall by the Suns. Phoenix declined to pick up the option for the final two seasons of his rookie contract, an incredibly rare and damning choice for a franchise that spent a lottery pick on him.
Somehow, the Bulls ended up with all three.
Bulls' strange link to 2020 NBA Draft serves as a reminder of failure
The 2020 draft was one of the oddest in NBA history, with COVID-19 preventing teams from bringing players in for interviews and full workouts.
Anthony Edwards went at No. 1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tyrese Haliburton slipped to the Sacramento Kings at No. 12. LaMelo Ball was the third overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets.
The biggest misses were the Golden State Warriors' selection of James Wiseman at No. 2 and Killian Hayes going off the board at No. 7 to the Detroit Pistons.
But in fitting Bulls fashion, three of the most average players in this particular draft currently reside in the Windy City.
Okoro owns career averages of 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Williams sits at 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Smith has scored 8.7 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game over his six seasons.
Okoro is 29th in this class in win shares per 48 minutes. Williams is 41st. Smith has turned into a playable rotation big after starting nine games combined in his first two years in the league.
Value over replacement player (VORP) is a useful way of judging a player's value compared to a minimum-salary, end-of-bench player. For reference, a "replacement player" has a determined value of -2.0 VORP.
Smith's VORP of 2.4 is 17th among 2020 draftees — though he's come a long way since the 0.2 he established during his first two seasons.
Okoro — to reiterate, the fifth-overall pick — ranks 49th out of 60 players at -0.8. Williams — the No. 4 pick — is 54th at -1.4.
Two of the top-five picks in the 2020 NBA Draft have maxed out as barely rotation-level players ... and the Bulls have both of them. (Williams, by the way, is owed $36 million over the next two seasons and has a player option for another $18 million in 2028-29, which is just slightly more than that league minimum the analytics say he deserves).
Chicago has helped rescue Smith's career; he was on his way to being a Wiseman-Hayes-level bust in Phoenix.
The whole thing is a strange coincidence and a perfect encapsulation of the Bulls' struggles over the past half-decade.
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