The NBA Draft is less than a month away and rumors are starting to fly. The Chicago Bulls have popped up as one of the teams that may want to move up in the draft. NBA Insider Tom Haberstroh appeared on the Bulls Talk Podcast and had the following to say about the Bulls Front Office.
“I think [Karnišovas] might move up, because I think No. 1 with Minnesota and No. 2 (with Golden State) is going to be readily available”
The Bulls will reportedly look to trade their No. 4 pick in the this year’s NBA draft to move up into the Top 3.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 19, 2020
The Bulls roster is currently loaded with young talent and if Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas and General Manager Marc Eversley are serious about getting the best prospect in this draft this is the only way to do it. The Bulls are currently sitting at the 4th spot in the draft order. Many mock drafts have them taking Forward Deni Avdija who should be available at the 4 spot. Other mock drafts have the Bulls taking a guard at the 4 spot. If the latter is true then the Bulls moving up to the 1st or 2nd pick to get someone like Georgia PG Anthony Edwards or Illawarra PG LaMelo Ball makes sense.
Could It Work?
Of course, but that depends on what the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors would be willing to take for their picks. It has been reported that both of those teams are open to shopping their pick. In order to make the move, the Bulls would need to find the right player(s) to add to the package. Both GS and Minnesota are trying to capitalize on their current roster and win now rather than starting with a young prospect.
Outside of Guard Zach LaVine, it doesn’t appear that there are any other untouchables on this Bulls roster. Current players on the roster that could be enticing trade bait include Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Thaddeus Young, Otto Porter JR., & Coby White. Karnišovas has not given much detail as to who he sees as untouchable on this roster. It would be interesting to see which players would be in a trade package to move up.
Will It Happen?
At this stage, this is all speculation. However, if the Bulls have their eyes set on either Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, or Memphis Center James Wiseman this may be the only way that they can get one of them. As we draw closer to the NBA Draft there’s bound to be a lot of rumors coming out. I’m sure there will be rumors of the Bulls wanting to move up and down in this draft. In the end, the team may stay put at the #4 spot. We haven’t been given much insight as to who the Bulls are targeting with their pick.
Karnišovas and Eversley are keeping their draft strategy behind closed doors. It would be surprising to hear of their strategy ahead of the draft. This front office has done a good job of keeping its decisions and plans quiet. At the end of the day, the Chicago fanbase seems to have a lot of trust in Karnišovas so it will be interesting to see what he does with this draft.
