MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: De'Andre Hunter #12 of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts after defeating the Auburn Tigers 63-62 during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls could be one stroke of luck away from turning the fortune of the franchise. After finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league this past season 22-60, they have a 12.5 percent chance of taking the No. 1 overall pick at tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery (8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN).
The Knicks, the Cavaliers and the Suns all hold 14 percent chances at receiving the top overall pick. Since 2000, Cleveland has earned four No. 1 selections, while Phoenix is looking for its second straight one after taking Deandre Ayton last summer.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Zion Williamson will go first. For outlets such as Sporting News, the question isn’t will he go No. 1, it’s where is he headed. If it’s the Windy City, the Duke superstar could team up with a young core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markannen and Otto Porter.
Outside of Williamson, who could the Bulls target should they fall to the No. 2 selection or beyond? Let’s take a stab at predictions.
Chicago Bulls NBA Draft Targets & Wish List Outside of Zion Williamson
The good thing about Chicago is that the roster has scoring options in the backcourt, frontcourt and the wings. LaVine led the way with 23.7 points. Otto Porter, after getting traded from Washington and before he exited the season with a shoulder injury, saw his production increase (per NBA.com):
Porter established career highs in scoring average, three-point shooting, assists, minutes played per game and shots made and attempted. Porter averaged 17.5 points per game.
Lastly, there’s the 7-foot Markkanen, whose an imposing presence in the lane with 18.7 points and nine rebounds a game. With all this said, who’s a good fit for the roster?
Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter would be a jack of all trades option. He is currently a top-5 pick according to our own Jonathan Adams and would provide a long, defensive complement to his Bulls teammates.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pounder put up averages of 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the national champion Cavaliers. He also tallied 27 points in the overtime victory over Texas Tech, the No. 1 defense in the country, in the NCAA Final.
Per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports, he’s a potential Jimmy Butler or Paul George-esque defender.
Defense is Hunter’s calling card. He was the ACC defensive player of the year and has the tools to guard multiple positions. He has the potential to be an All-Defensive team player at the NBA level much like a Jimmy Butler or Paul George. Some have even compared him to Kawhi Leonard. He can run with guards and has the length to bother bigger players.
Another player lower down the board would be Brandon Clarke out of Gonzaga. He put up a solid 16.9 points and 8.6 boards for the Zags last season, including a 36-point outburst against Baylor in the NCAA Tournament. At 6-foot-8, he presents the length of a player like Hunter, but he would be an interior counterpunch next to Markannen.
Once you get to the second round, why not take a chance on score-first point guard such as Carsen Edwards? The 6-footer out of Purdue set an NCAA Tournament record for 3-pointers in just four contests, including a 42-point explosion in the Elite 8 versus eventual national champion Virginia.
Outside of that, he averaged 24.5 points per game on 35.5 percent shooting from 3. He could be like a taller version of Nate Robinson.