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.
Queue the athletic big man. Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser is arguably the most athletically gifted center in the 2025 NBA Draft. The nearly 7-foot, 242-pound big man wowed in athletic testing at the NBA Combine. Konan Niederhauser posted a 37-inch max and a 33.5-inch standing vertical. His max vertical ranked 18th amongst combine participants and 1st amongst centers, while his standing vertical ranked second and first, respectively.
Besides his impressive vertical testing, Konan Niederhauser placed third in lane agility time, second in the shuttle run, and second in the three-quarter sprint among bigs. The 22-year-old's terrific combine performance has ultimately thrust him into the late-first, early-second round conversation.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser's scouting report
The 7-footer is such a late bloomer that he's still a relatively unknown prospect. He began his collegiate career at Northern Illinois, only averaging 7.6 minutes per game as a freshman. Konan Niederhauser's playing time increased in his sophomore campaign, averaging 19.6 minutes per game for the Huskies before seeing 25.1 minutes per contest as a junior suiting up for the Nittany Lions.
Konan Niederhauser went from averaging 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks as a freshman in the Mid-American Conference to 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and a conference-leading 2.3 blocks per game as a junior in the Big Ten. The Swiss-born center is the proverbial rim-running, shot-blocking five that's ever so valued in today's NBA.
Offense
Konan Niederhauser's offensive game is simple yet effective. He works best in the pick-and-roll and as a play-finisher. Konan Niederhauser recorded 65 dunks (nearly half his field goals), shot 61.1 percent from the floor, and, more importantly, 67.0 percent around the rim.
Although just slightly below 7 feet tall barefoot, Konan Niederhauser looks massive on the hardwood; he makes himself easy to find in space, especially after setting on-ball screens. The former Nittany Lion isn't the bulkiest big man at 240 pounds, but you wouldn't know it by the way he sets bruising picks and bangs in the low-post.
Konan Niederhauser's tape tells a slightly different story from his athletic testing. He's a smooth athlete for his size, sure, but he wasn't one to necessarily wow with elite verticality like he did at the combine. Still, he'll throw down monstrous slams numerous times per contest and is an ideal lob threat.
The 22-year-old is a point guard's dream. His catch radius is huge, and he possesses soft hands, whether it be catching a bounce-pass weaved through defenders or an almost uncatchable lob. Konan Niederhauser can do it all.
Konan Niederhauser is built for the NBA. His one-dimensional offensive game makes his fit surprisingly easy. There's no guesswork to Konan Niederhauser's game. He comes from the same ilk as Daniel Gafford, Jaxson Hayes, and Goga Bitadze.
The Penn State product is by no means a go-to low-post scorer. He typically relies on quick spins and elite verticality to score in the low-post. Yet he displayed a superb right hook, following his spin move. Moreover, Konan Niederhauser does a fantastic job of sealing defenders with his massive frame. He gets post positioning better than a handful of bigs in the NBA.
After discussing Konan Niederhauser's offensive strengths, it's important to point out his weaknesses. He's almost a non-threat from three. The 22-year-old converted 11-of-51 three-pointers throughout his three collegiate seasons. On a positive note, his mechanics are fluid. He even attempted some moving triples, a promising advancement for Konan Niederhauser's progression. His shooting may never take off, but it's worth mentioning he did shoot 66.4 percent from the free-throw line on 4.5 attempts per game.
Defense
Like his rim-rolling ability, Konan Niederhauser's shot-blocking is immediately translatable to the NBA. Konan Niederhauser has piled up tremendous block totals in limited action. As a sophomore, suiting up for Northern Illinois, Konan Niederhauser amassed 57 blocks in 530 minutes. A year later, he swatted 67 shots in 728 minutes.
Konan Niederhauser's combination of size, mobility, and wingspan is tailor-made for an excellent shot-blocker. Konan Niederhauser's wingspan measured the seventh longest among combine participants at 7-foot-3 and a quarter.
While the Swiss big man's measurements and athletic testing go a long way, his timing and patience must not be undermined. Konan Niederhauser is a terrific help-side and recovery shot-blocker. Typically, when assessing shot-blockers, the final result is judged. Just how good was the block, or ultimately the contest? When watching Konan Niederhauser, it's just as mesmerizing waiting for the big man to fly into the picture and reject a shot.
With any center prospect entering the new-age NBA comes the "can he defend in space" question. Konan Niederhauser is mobile and laterally quick for his size, but he didn't often defend guards on the perimeter at Penn State. The big man was tasked with a quick show-and-go in pick-and-roll scenarios instead of a hard hedge or a switch.
Once in the NBA, Konan Niederhauser figures to earn many more reps defending in space. There's no shortage of big men's involvement in pick-and-roll or hand-off action in the NBA. Konan Niederhauser might not be comfortable routinely defending the perimeter… yet, but it shouldn't be a difficult transition for a big man as fleet of foot as Konan Niederhauser.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser's fit with the Chicago Bulls
Is there any bigger void on the Bulls' roster than a rim-rolling, shot-blocking five? Maybe a 3-and-D wing, but besides the NBA's most coveted archetype, there's nothing close. Konan Niederhauser is one of the few potential second-rounders to contribute immediately in a finite role.
The Bulls only featured one player, through an 82-game season, to match Konan Niederhauser's dunk and block totals. That would be rookie Matas Buzelis, who led Chicago with 65 dunks and 75 blocks. The Bulls' trio of centers (Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Smith, and Zach Collins) combined for 49 dunks and 110 blocks.
Chicago gravely lacks a player like Konan Niederhauser's archetype. The 7-foot is an ideal lob target for the soon-to-be $30 million man, Josh Giddey. The Bulls' assist leader was paired with an elite pick-and-pop partner, Vucevic, yet he lacked a prime lob target. With Chicago's glut of three-point shooters, Konan Niederhauser's inability to stretch the floor would be far from a detriment in Billy Donovan's offense.
Furthermore, Konan Niederhauser fills the Bulls' need for an interior deterrent. He's not a defensive anchor, nor is he extremely versatile; alas, he is an intimidating shot-blocker and a clean-up artist. Chicago's perimeter defense is notoriously subpar, thus, Konan Niederhauser would play the role of paint intimidator.
For more prospect profiles and all things draft-related, check out Pippen Ain't Easy'sChicago Bulls draft page. A new prospect's scouting report will be added daily.