Each day until the 2025 NBA Draft, Pippen Ain't Easy will profile one prospect who makes sense as a fit for the Bulls in either the first or second round. These players could fill a need, such as on-ball defense or rim protection, or could fit an archetype that Chicago lacks on its current roster, like an athletic big man or 3-and-D wing. For more prospect profiles and all things draft-related, check out PAE's Chicago Bulls draft page.
When Chicago moved Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings shortly before last year's trade deadline, the team lost a high-level NBA scorer. Hunter Sallis was a similar player at the collegiate level during his time at Wake Forest. It's not a like-for-like replacement, but Sallis fits that similar offense-first archetype.
The Bulls' logical successor to LaVine as their No. 1 scoring option was Coby White. The 25-year-old guard proved he was up to the task, scoring in double figures in all but four games in Chicago's last 31 contests. Over that span, he averaged 23.1 points with shooting splits of 48/38/92 on a high volume.
But there are reportedly questions within the Bulls organization concerning the feasibility of a long-term backcourt of White and Josh Giddey, two poor point-of-attack defenders. Chicago struggled mightily on defense last year, especially with that combination on the floor. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu will be a free agent after next season, and Lonzo Ball has one of the league's most tradeable contracts.
The Bulls could need a reset in the backcourt soon, but the scoring production that players like LaVine and White provide(d) would need to be replaced. That's where Sallis could come in as a potential second-round option.
Hunter Sallis 2025 NBA Draft scouting report
Sallis was a top-10 recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports and the second-ranked combo guard in the country. He committed to Gonzaga but never found his niche there, coming off the bench in all 69 games he appeared in in Spokane and averaging just 4.4 points in 15.3 minutes per contest.
He transferred to Wake for his junior season and immediately took off. In his first year with the Deamon Deacons, he started 34 games with averages of 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 34.5 minutes. As a senior in 2024-25, he upped those numbers to 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Sallis proved he could fill it up as a go-to scorer in the always tough ACC.
The Omaha-native measured in at 6-foot-3 ¾ barefoot at the combine with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He proved fairly explosive as well with a 37.5-inch max vertical.
Entering the 2025 draft, the question becomes which of his skills in a relatively deep offensive bag will translate to the NBA?
Offense
Sallis is first and foremost a scorer of the basketball. He's not an overly athletic mover, but when he gets a sliver of space, he has tight enough handles and enough burst to get to the rim and finish with power. He's effective getting to his spots with the use of pump fakes, stop-and-start dribbles and hesitation moves.
A large chunk of Sallis' shot attempts came either at the rim or in the mid-range. He has the length to finish inside and pull up and shoot over smaller defenders. He can do damage in transition when he has time to accelerate to full speed. He can explode for highlight dunks or lobs.
The lack of a consistent shot, especially from three, is a major question mark for him entering the draft. As a junior, he shot 48.7 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from deep. As a senior, those numbers plummeted to 45.7 and 27.7, respectively. If Sallis is going to carve out a role in the NBA, he'll have to shoot like he did his first season in Winston-Salem, especially in spot-up scenarios.
Last year, he was forced to play some point guard, and despite his high turnover numbers, he showed that he can manage a pick-and-roll and make the right passes when the easy read is available.
Defense
Sallis' role at Wake was to score. The Deacons weren't a team chock-full of talent, and he was their star. Still, he showed flashes of being an above-average defender. His athleticism and length help him stay in front of quicker players or recover and contest shots.
He was an enticingly active defender at times. He averaged 2.0 stocks (steals plus blocks) over his four collegiate seasons by reaching into passing lanes and making good use of his extra-long wingspan. That led to run-outs and often transition scores for his team.
With the right effort level and willingness to lock in on that end of the floor, Sallis can become a useful defender in the NBA with the potential to go even a notch or two higher.
Hunter Sallis' fit with the Chicago Bulls
Sallis will have to accept a pretty drastic role change at the pro level. He won't get anywhere near the 26.3 percent usage rate he had during his time at Wake Forest, which makes his spot-up shooting even more of a swing skill.
Still, he proved he can use some crafty ballhandling to find open pockets of space and knock down contested shots once he gets there. His finishing and playmaking skills would fit in nicely with the Bulls' focus on transition offense.
He'll never get buckets for Chicago the way White can, but given the uncertainty surrounding the Bulls' future guard rotation, Sallis would be worth a flyer in the second round when the Bulls pick at No. 45.
If one of White or Giddey is gone and Dosunmu and/or Ball follow them out the door at some point, Sallis could help pick up the slack as a scorer and potential two-way contributor with some upside still left to tap into.
For more prospect profiles and all things draft-related, check out Pippen Ain't Easy's Chicago Bulls draft page. A new prospect's scouting report will be added daily.