Update 11/12/2020 7:23 AM ET – Georgia guard Anthony Edwards says that he has not had any contact with the Chicago Bulls. He has worked out for the top 3 teams. This would lead one to believe that he won’t be slipping out of the top 3 in this year’s draft.
Anthony Edwards says he hasn’t had any contact with the Bulls. Said he’s worked out with Warriors, Timberwolves, Hornets
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) November 11, 2020
There’s been plenty of talk about the Bulls moving around in the draft but they may not need to go anywhere. Since the conclusion of the college basketball season, the draft prospect rankings had Illawara PG LaMelo Ball and Georgia Guard Anthony Edwards in the top 3. However, it appears that there may be a shakeup in that order and one of those guys may find themselves out.
One week to NBA draft so plenty of posturing/time for change. But . . . there’s more and more talk around league linking Charlotte to Okongwu. If Warriors stay put and draft Wiseman, also a notion that’s prevalent, that means one of Ball/Edwards would drop to Bulls. Who ya got?
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 11, 2020
If Charlotte is actually going to move forward with USC PF/C Onyeka Okongwu then that would most likely leave one of the two guards at the #4 pick. Barring any trades from other teams to move up and snag a guard of course or Golden State going with someone other than Wiseman. The question still remains which of the two will be there if that’s the case? If you take a look at the most recent mock drafts it appears that Edwards is the likely favorite to fall outside of the top 3.
Which player SHOULD every team pick? 🏀 🧠
Our draft experts take turns playing GM for the 2020 NBA Draft: https://t.co/xjQNGiG461 pic.twitter.com/qq8cZFHOvV
— ESPN (@espn) November 11, 2020
LaMelo Ball would still be the first pick in the draft which has been predicted for quite some time. Even the Bulls have been rumored to be considering trading up for Ball. If the Bulls are all in on LaMelo I doubt they would risk it and wait for him to potentially fall to #4.
Anthony Edwards to the Bulls
So, let’s say that this mock draft is actually how the draft played out, would the Bulls be getting the right player in Edwards? According to sources Edwards pro day didn’t go as planned and actually turned off a couple of organizations.
Anthony Edwards' pro day reportedly "discouraged" multiple front offices ahead of the NBA drafthttps://t.co/0SAneAUwXE pic.twitter.com/8oxDx4gEOQ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 9, 2020
At this time we don’t know what the Bulls opinions are on Edwards as we haven’t heard much of anything from them on who they value in this draft. Let’s say that Edwards falls to #4 would the Bulls be crazy to pass him up? In his one season with Georgia, he averaged 19.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 40.2 %FG, & 29.4 %3FG. He can absolutely get the job done on offense and he appeared to do it almost effortlessly in college. He’s an explosive playmaker and can shoot the ball. If he fell to #4 and the Bulls passed it would be seen as a mistake around the league. In some people’s eyes, he is the best player in this draft.
Anthony Edwards is ELITE 😤 Will he be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft ⁉️ @theantman05 pic.twitter.com/DY52zaTePo
— BallerTV (@BallerTV) November 10, 2020
Would he fit?
Here’s where things get dicey. This would all depend on how PG Coby White progresses under new head coach Billy Donovan. If he can begin filling the role of true PG then Edwards can find himself a home on this Bulls team. However, if White continues to fill more of a shooting guard role things will get a bit cluttered with the Bulls. The Bulls already have SG Zach LaVine and if Coby doesn’t make the transition then you would essentially have three shooting guards on the team who do the same thing. It’s hard to get a real feel for how this team will shape up.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Edwards is a great offensive player and would help this Bulls team. But, if White doesn’t make the transition to a true PG this team would be left without a floor general. Sure, LaVine or even Edwards could play the PG role. That won’t solve the team’s need for a floor general. The front office and Billy Donovan have a much better idea of what they have in Coby White. We would have to trust their judgment if this scenario were to occur.
At this stage, if Edwards falls to #4 who knows, the Bulls may be looking at trade offers from other teams. The Bulls may have him high on their draft boards. We simply don’t know at this stage. But if these rumors are true and the Hornets are all in on Okongwu the Bulls may find themselves getting lucky. Whether it will be Ball or Edwards remains the biggest question.
