Ten years later, how did this draft/trade go down in history?
20/20 is hindsight, but this has not played well over time. An overall grade of an F would be fitting. This is not to say McDermott was a bad player or a bad gamble, but it represented the rift between the coaching staff and ownership. Before the Bulls made this deal, there had to be some conversation or understanding about how they were going to develop McDermott for the price they paid to get him. Based on what happended, it does not appear an understanding existed.
The Bulls moved up in the draft to try to fulfill a definite need in 3-point shooting and Thibs iced McDermott on the bench. McDermott averaged 8 minutes in only 36 games his rookie season. Thibedou was fired and the Bulls brought in Fred Hoiberg. In the 2015-16 season, McDermott's playing time increased substantially as he played in 82 games and averaged 23 minutes per game. He shot a healthy 42 percent from 3-point range and averaged 10 points per game for the 41-41 Bulls. It seemed like GarPax maybe were onto something.
However, McDermott's time in Chicago would be brief. Where the draft pick and trade becomes under more scrutiny is that the Bulls were quick to pivot from McDermott .The Bulls would trade McDermott the following trade deadline in 2016-2017 with Taj Gibson and a 2nd round pick for a flyer on Cameron Payne and others from the OKC Thunder. Cameron Payne would not work out for the Bulls and they would release him 2018-2019 season.
In a deep draft, the Bulls decided to move up and trade the player before the end of his rookie contract. The perplexing move was that McDermott was showing signs of improvement and they dealt him for a minimal return after giving up significant value to get him.
The trade for and selection of McDermott represents the Bulls struggled to find a lane to pick during that time. They could not decide to continue to develop around the Noah-Rose core or move forward and build around Butler. In retrospect, it feels like the move would be to build around Jimmy Butler and make him a legend in Chicago.
Notable Players drafter after McDermott |
|---|
13. Zach LaVine |
16. Jursif Nurkic |
19. Gary Harris |
25. Clint Capela |
27. Bogdan Bogdanovic |
30. Kyle Anderson |
33. Joe Harris |
38. Nikola Jokic |
46. Jordan Clarkson |
The Bulls needed to hit on the pick in the 2014 draft. They had championship aspirations and needed to add key pieces to a roster to challenge LeBron James. They were unable to do that or acquire a piece for the future. Ultimately, this draft has to be a considered a failure for the Bulls.
The Big What-if ...
What if the Bulls drafted Zach LaVine with the #11 pick. That would have certainly changed future decisions the Bulls made.