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(Un)luck of the Draw

Draft Lottery Unlucky for Bulls, Fans

The 2019 NBA Draft Lottery came and went with a whoosh. But it definitely left its mark on the NBA. That mark will create ripple effects across the entire Association. For some teams, that ripple is looking like a positive. For many other teams, though, the lottery created more questions (and problems) than before.

 

Can’t Always Get What You Want

The sky is falling! No, that is not a reference to beloved fictitious character Chicken Little. It is, instead, the cries of Chicago Bulls fans everywhere in the wake of landing the number seven overall pick in the NBA Draft in last night’s Draft Lottery. ‘Landing’ is the appropriate word because you have to fall to land. And being projected for the fourth slot only to land the seventh is a fall far greater than the mere three-slot difference would suggest.

Part of the reason the results are so deflating is because the consensus is that after the top three (Duke’s Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett or Ja Morant of Murray State) there are no clear cut, must-take players. Some even say that the cutoff is the top two. That isn’t to say that the other players won’t be fine pros. It is to say that if there is a generational talent among the field from four on, it wasn’t on display while they were in college. In other words, they are more likely role players than franchise cornerstones.

The other kicker is the seventh pick represents a near-worst-case for the Bulls draft odds. The reform of the NBA’s lottery flattened out the odds for the bottom three teams to get the top pick and the results were immediately apparent. The Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies both jumped at least six spots, as did the draft’s biggest winner, the New Orleans Pelicans. Meanwhile, Horace Grant’s reaction as the Bulls name was read is representative of Bull fans everywhere.

 

What Now?

No need to cry (anymore) over spilled milk. Instead, the attention of the Chicago brain trust has certainly turned towards producing yet another surprisingly solid pick at a less than ideal draft slot. They have plenty of experience at this slot in particular, too. Both Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen (who was actually drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves) were picked in the seven-slot. And we have seen players like Donovan Mitchell (13th overall in 2017) come off the board at the end of the lottery and surprise.

So which prospects offer both the potential to exceed expectations and availability at seven? Bleacher Report currently has Chicago taking Coby White out of North Carolina, though pairing him in the backcourt with Zach Lavine would have opposing guards licking their offensive chops. Prior to the acquisition of Otto Porter, many in See Red Nation were clamoring for Duke wingman, Cam Reddish. The 6’8” forward was stifled in college playing alongside two other marquee talents, though, that’s not an issue in the Windy City.

That is the issue at hand. Even though the Bulls have a glaring need for a point guard but if it isn’t Morant there is no clear-cut answer for their lead guard. Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland (the second-ranked point guard) has questions after tearing his meniscus a mere five games into the season. The reality is beyond picks one and two, teams will be either reaching to fill needs or trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

 

Or…

The other option that has to be on the table is trading the pick. Rumors have already been swirling about the Bulls perhaps shipping the selection west to the Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball. The move would upgrade the point guard spot that the front office clearly doesn’t see Kris Dunn as a fit for. Outside of that, though, not many options readily present themselves. That is a credit to how the Bulls have fleshed out 3/5 of their roster. It also pigeonholes the expected return on any trade involving the draft pick. Anything other than a point guard is an unnecessary luxury.

If the Bulls feel they are really a veteran point guard away from competing in the East, a trade for the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley could be on the horizon. Trading the pick for a guard who will be 32 before the first tip of the 2019 season is…less than ideal. And that is before taking Conley’s exorbitant salary into account. The benefit to going after a vet is that it would allow Dunn to stick around and, hopefully, learn how to be a more effective floor general. That route just might not be viable through trade.

A third, and admittedly less appealing, option exists. The Bulls could trade back with another team should a player that team covets slides. That would potentially allow the Bulls to still pick a player they like, only at a more palatable slot. It also would bring in more draft capital for the future. That cannot be undervalued because, while it is not impossible, it is unlikely that they find a franchise-altering talent where they are currently slated to pick. Of course, that path would be asking for more patience from a fan base that is already clinging to fond memories of championships from 21 years ago.

 

Basketball Purgatory

Sports fans are familiar with this concept. It is often called basketball hell. When in this state, teams are neither good enough to compete for a championship nor bad enough to have a legitimate shot at the top incoming draft talent. The lottery (and its reformation) is supposed to quell tanking, but the Pelicans played their best player, Anthony Davis, 30-plus minutes once over the star big man’s final 15 games. Other than that he didn’t clear 25 minutes. News flash: they were tanking. Alas, the Bulls have gone from Ja Morant or Garland and rounding out their starting five to BPA/who knows without doing a thing. Impressive.