3 Stars the Bulls wish they acquired instead of Nikola Vucevic
![Feb 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Feb 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4160,h_2340,x_0,y_45/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/24/01j0bfj1jqq4cm4bn0ac.jpg)
The Bulls could have drafted Alperen Sengun
A lot of teams wish they hadn’t passed on Alperen Sengun, who would be a top five pick if this draft were done again.
But this missed opportunity is especially bad for the Bulls, who invested heavily in an aging center when they could have a 21-year-old who is already better.
Sengun averaged 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists last season while shooting 54 percent from the floor overall.
He’s on a rookie contract and is already one of the best young centers in the game. If the Bulls had just drafted Wagner or Sengun they’d have the start of a nice young core to go with Coby White, but instead they traded a primo pick for a guy already in decline as the Orlando Magic ran away laughing.
It’s no coincidence that the Magic made the playoffs last season (with a young team) while the Bulls did not.
But it wasn’t just the draft where the Bulls struck out.