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When the NBA draft lottery takes place on June 22, the Chicago Bulls are going to need some luck on their side.
Having failed to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, the lottery will determine which first-round pick the Bulls get in the NBA draft — if any at all. Should the Bulls fail to land a top-four pick, then it will go to the Orlando Magic as agreed upon in the Nikola Vučević trade. This situation would then force the Bulls to make some sort of trade to have a draft pick in the first round.
According to Tankathon, Chicago has the best chances of landing the ninth overall pick in the draft, which would go to Orlando. The Bulls also have a 5.7 percent chance of getting the fourth overall pick in the draft, and the chances of landing the picks below are even slimmer with chances of getting the top pick at 4.5 percent.
While the odds aren’t great, Chicago is no stranger to lottery luck. When the Bulls got the first pick in the 2008 NBA draft lottery, which led to them drafting Derrick Rose, they had just a 1.7 percent chance of landing the top spot.
The Bulls were close to reaching the postseason this year but fell short of even making the play-in tournament. So even with the growth and potential they’ve shown this season, they still need help taking that next step, and grabbing one of the first four picks should do just that.
If the Bulls find themselves with a top-four pick in the draft lottery again as they did last year, here are the players that they could have a shot at taking:
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Cade Cunningham
Even with Coby White’s strong finish this season, the Bulls’ biggest need is still getting a new point guard. White is more of a scoring guard than he is a traditional point guard, so he could be better suited coming off the bench rather than starting alongside Zach LaVine and Vučević.
Chicago needs legitimate playmaking, and Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham could fulfill that need and more.
He showed a very strong all-around game as a Fr., and his projection to the NBA is centered around his size and frame, ability to be a playmaker for himself and others, promise as a position less defender, his emergence as a knockdown shooter, and as someone you can rely on to take and make a shot in the clutch all in one
The issue is whether the Bulls can actually get him. He’s projected by many mock drafts to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, so Chicago will truly need to have the odds in their favor to land the 6-foot-8-inch guard.
Jalen Green
With an elite scorer like LaVine, the Bulls don’t need to worry about finding a primary scorer. But they could have a shot at one if they land a top-four pick.
A 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard, Jalen Green was one of the first members of the G-League’s Ignite team, opting to play a year there instead of being a one-and-done college player. He was the team’s star player, averaging 17.9 points over the course of 15 games while also shooting 46.1 percent from the field. He also had averages of 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, Green is reminiscent of a player Bulls fans are familiar with:
Green is closer to a Zach LaVine type, where he uses his twitchy explosiveness to be productive early, then continues to build out his handle and shooting ability to put himself into more dangerous situations.
Because of this, Green — albeit a talented player with potential — probably wouldn’t be the best fit for the Bulls because his game wouldn’t coexist well with LaVine. So LaVine would have to be more of a point guard to cater to Green’s talents, or Green would have to be a bench player, where he could be the main scoring option.
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga is similar to Green in that he is also another of the first players to be a part of the G-League’s Ignite program. He’s listed as a 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound small forward and was Ignite’s second-leading scorer at 15. 8 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting. But where he could be most beneficial to Chicago could be on the defensive end.
Per Kyle Irving of NBA.com Canada:
The combination of his size, strength and athleticism makes him the most versatile defender in this draft class. He will comfortably be able to defend 1-through-4 at the next level, and may even be able to take on the challenge against some 5’s.
Kuminga could be a complementary wing to LaVine and Vučević while providing some essential defense. His scoring prowess can also help ease the offensive burden of the Bulls’ two All-Stars.
Evan Mobley
Lauri Markkanen is one of the Bulls who have been rumored to be leaving the team this offseason. Should that move happen, Mobley has the size and skillset that could help fill that void.
Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer has referred to the 7-foot big man out of USC as a “Versatile two-way big with a clear path to being an elite defender and the long-term potential to be a go-to scorer.”
That defensive presence would strengthen the Bulls’ interior defense. But if Mobley were to join the Bulls, it could create some competition between him and Patrick Williams. Williams started every game this past season at power forward, being most effective on the defensive end. Mobley could make a case to take that starting four spot if he proves to be consistent on both ends of the court while complementing Vučević.
Jalen Suggs
A 6-foot-4-inch point guard out of Gonzaga, Suggs could be the Bulls’ best choice should they get top-four pick, because he could fill the point guard void well.
In The Athletic’s latest mock draft, Kelsey Russo highlighted Suggs’ playmaking ability:
Suggs brings a high level of athleticism along with a strong feel for the game. As an initiator, Suggs is a great passer, an unselfish ballhandler and has good court vision.
While the Bulls could hit the trade or free agent market or to find their next point guard, landing Suggs would be great because he’s young and has potential for growth. In 30 games at Gonzaga, he put up averages of 14.4 points, 4.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds, so he can also score and can be a rebounding guard.
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