2007: Bulls draft Aaron Gray #49, Marc Gasol drafted #48
Ok, you can’t blame the Bulls for this one, as Gasol was drafted one spot ahead, but it just shows you what a crapshoot the draft is.
The Bulls were looking for a big man and may have taken Gasol had he fallen one more spot, a selection that would have changed the course of the franchise, as he went on to have a Hall of Fame career as a 3-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and champion.
2009: Bulls draft James Johnson #16, Jrue Holiday drafted #17
James Johnson has had a very good career as a journeyman big who can defend and is known as one of the toughest players in the NBA.
But Jrue Holiday is still one of the best two-guards in the game, a two-time All Star who is a regular on the All-Defensive team and could be on the way to his second championship this season after winning one with the Bucks.
2018: Bulls draft Wendell Carter Jr #7, Collin Sexton drafted #8
This one is debatable, as Carter Jr is a decent player and it’s a stretch to call Collin Sexton a star.
But the latter has averaged over 25 points in a season and over 18 for his career. He’s a dynamic scoring guard, while WCJ is more of a backup big man, who isn’t terrible, but isn’t as good as Sexton.