Today is the day, the 2020 NBA Draft is upon us. At this moment the Bulls possess the #4 pick in tonight’s draft. However, that may change by the time the draft starts. The Bulls have reportedly been in talks with the Golden State Warriors about moving to the #2 spot in the draft.
Sources: The Warriors and Bulls have discussed a trade that’d send the second pick in exchange for the fourth pick and Wendell Carter Jr.
More detail, reports and analysis inside my latest Mock Draft update on @ringer: https://t.co/MWGF6RSakS
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 18, 2020
If this is true the Bulls appear to be very serious about moving up in this year’s draft. In order to move up, they would be willing to part ways with their 2018 1st round pick in Center Wendell Carter Jr. This is a pretty big price to pay in order to move up two spots. That would mean that the Bulls believe whoever they are bringing in will be better than Carter Jr. in the long run. Let’s take a look at who it may be if they move up to the #2 spot.
Three prospects at the #2 spot
There are three players that come to mind if the Bulls are trying to move up to the #2 spot. The obvious one is Memphis Center James Wiseman, if the Bulls are giving up Carter Jr. this would certainly be his replacement. The next is Maccabi Tel Aviv Forward Deni Avdija who the Warriors have been enamored with ahead of the draft.
The Warriors reportedly are "infatuated" with Deni Avdija's skill level and view him in the mold of Danilo Gallinari 👀https://t.co/X5cWhrJflj pic.twitter.com/espkkNzT5U
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 18, 2020
The final player would be Illawara PG LaMelo Ball. If the Bulls believe he will not be the #1 pick but they want him then the #2 spot may be the only way to get him. Those are the three prospects that would make the most sense as to why the Bulls would want to move up. However, the most realistic scenario would be the Bulls are moving up for Wiseman.
James Wiseman
The reason that Wiseman appears to be the obvious pick is because of the position he plays. If the Bulls are willing to move on from their current starting center then they will need a replacement for him. Wiseman is the best center in this draft and it’s not even close. Wiseman only appeared in 3 games for Memphis this year before unenrolling from the school and preparing for the NBA Draft. In his 3 games, he dominated averaging 19.7 PPG & 10.7 RPG. He is 7’1″ and clocks in at 240 lbs. He’s a stud of an athlete and will be a great player coming out of this draft.
The problem here is the Bulls would be giving up a center who is going into his 3rd year in the league to start over. A lot of people believe Carter Jr. will thrive under new head coach Billy Donovan.
Carter Jr. has only been coached in the NBA by Bulls former head coach Jim Boylen. He wasn’t exactly a great coach for this team. If the Bulls make a move like this then they are saying that they believe Wiseman has more upside than Carter Jr. They could be right but that’s not something the team will know until the deal is done.
Is it the right move?
A lot of people are skeptical about this move. Not because of the player that James Wiseman is but because of what the Bulls are giving up to get the #2 pick. They would be moving on from Carter Jr who truly hasn’t been coached by someone who knows what they are doing. The Bulls did have a scheduled workout with Wiseman which means they at least got to get an in-depth look at what he can do. Wiseman hasn’t played in a game in over a year at this point. He has had plenty of time to get his body right and prepare for these workouts. Maybe he showed the Bulls something that they couldn’t pass on. We won’t know until he actually hits the floor. Donovan and management may want to start fresh with a new center. We have to trust that they see something in Wiseman that they don’t see in Wendell.
This could be the perfect move for the Bulls in the long term. It could also be something that sets them back. Unfortunately, it’s a decision where the team won’t know if it’s right until it’s too late to go back.
2020 NBA Draft
The Bulls have been rumored to be moving all over the place in this draft. As we draw closer to the start of the draft we are getting some more insight into what they may be doing. We may not know until we are in the draft and it’s the Warrior’s time to pick. Buckle up Chicago things are just getting started for this draft.
