NBA Mock Draft: Chicago Bulls May Opt For Swingman
The Chicago Bulls were projected to land the first pick at the start of the season, but after surprise efforts behind their young guys, the team now looks to get a solid swingman in the latter half of the lottery.
A swingman, particularly a small forward, would do wonders for the Chicago Bulls, mostly because they already have promising investments in other areas of the court. The Bulls traded away superstar Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for power forward Lauri Markkanen, point guard Kris Dunn, and shooting guard Zach Lavine.
Center and small forward are holes to fill for the Bulls, who are currently projected to draft in the eighth to twelfth ranges in the draft.
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While most of the big men in this draft such as DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, and Wendell Carter Jr. are projected to be drafted higher than the Bulls' range, there are plenty of swingmen to draft. One of the first to come to mind are the two unrelated Bridges.
Mikal Bridges of Villanova and Miles Bridges of Michigan State are athletic small forwards that can provide a long-term solution at the small forward spot. With Markkanen and Lavine's shooting but lack of perimeter defense, a burly and defensive-minded Miles Bridges can be a great fit.
Mikal Bridges, on the other hand, is more long and lanky. While Miles is projected to play either small or power forward, Mikal is more inclined to be a scorer at the shooting guard or small forward positions. The potential to be a defensive ace along with his growing offense, which Miles falls short on, have some draft boards picking the junior over Miles Bridges by a small margin.
Another highly-rated swingman that the Bulls can draft is Kevin Knox of Kentucky University. Knox has had a rocky season, but there were glimpses of scoring potential like his 34-point game against West Virginia. Knox has drawn comparisons to Giannis Antetokounmpo due to his length, ball-handling, and athleticism.
Still, it should be noted that the season is still quite early, and the Bulls may still have a chance to get players in the higher bracket, which are mostly big men.
It is not a long shot for the Bulls to grab 7-foot shot-blocking sensation Mo Bamba or Duke's athletic big Wendell Carter Jr. should the Bulls go on a losing streak. DeAndre Ayton, who is projected to go number one, is not a long shot either.
