The NBA draft is only 22 days away. The Chicago Bulls have one pick in this year’s draft and luckily it falls in the first round. With the 18th pick in the draft, the Bulls will need to do their research to ensure they make the right choice. That research/evaluation is typically done through pre-draft workouts. With 22 days until the draft the Bulls have been busy with workouts however the players coming in aren’t who most fans would think. This may make you wonder what the front office plans to do come draft night. None of the players being brought in are 1st round prospects. Most of them are late second-round or undrafted. That’s not to say they are bad players. However, with the 18th pick in the draft, you would like to see the Bulls bringing in more players to evaluate for that pick.
Maybe the Bulls are going to take the same approach as the Bears in this year’s draft. Acquire as many picks as you can and hope someone turns out to be a star. Maybe this is them doing due diligence to grab some undrafted players. We won’t know until the draft comes but we can trust this front office to make the right decisions. Regardless, we are going to break down the players that have been confirmed to have workouts for the team.
Josh Minott
The first player the Bulls brought in for a workout is Memphis forward Josh Minott.
The Chicago Bulls have scheduled a workout with draft prospect Josh Minott that will happen in the next couple of days, per sources.
Minott is a forward and played college basketball at Memphis.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 26, 2022
Minott is an intriguing prospect that comes with some flaws. In most mock drafts he is going in the late second-round while going undrafted in some. Minott is highly talented on the defensive side of the ball and is extremely athletic. His ability to pass the ball effectively is another high point in his game.
The issue with Minott is his offensive game. It’s lacking, to say the least, and he’s going to be a project for whichever team adds him. He averaged only 6.6 PPG last season and shot only 14 threes during the entire season. Sure he had a handful of games where he scored double digits but he also had multiple games scoring 2 or fewer points. If the Bulls are looking to improve the bench with offensive weapons Minott isn’t the best choice. He would be an asset on defense but currently, he’s not a good fit for this team.
Vance Jackson Jr.
The next player the Bulls brought in for a workout is Eastern Carolina forward Vance Jackson Jr.
The Chicago Bulls have scheduled a workout with draft prospect Vance Jackson Jr that will happen in the next couple of days, per sources.
Vance is a forward and played college basketball this past season at East Carolina University.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 29, 2022
Jackson Jr. played for four different colleges over the past five years. Over his five-year career, he averaged 10 PPG, 40.1 %FG, 4.9 RPG, & 1.5 APG. He was a solid piece for Eastern Carolina last season helping bring them to a 15-15 record. He can score at a high level. In 6 games last season he scored over 20 points and had a high of 35 in one game. He would be a nice piece coming off the bench if he can make his game work in the NBA. He’s been projected as a late second-round pick in the draft and could potentially go undrafted. He would be a solid grab if he does go undrafted and the Bulls can add him to the bench.
Teddy Allen
Another player that will be working out for the Bulls is New Mexico State guard Teddy Allen.
The Chicago Bulls have scheduled a workout with draft prospect Teddy Allen that will happen this week, per sources.
Teddy is a guard and played college basketball this past season at New Mexico State University.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 31, 2022
Allen is another player who has played for multiple teams over his career. He has played for three teams over three years. Over his career, he averaged 14.0 PPG, 44.7 %FG, 4.7 RPG, & 1.6 APG. However, his last season was by far the best of his career. Last season with New Mexico State he averaged 19.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 2.5 APG. Allen lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals last season. Allen is another player who isn’t predicted to be drafted and one that would be very intriguing for the Bulls to add to the bench. He’s a player who can score at a high level and showed that in the NCAA tournament scoring 37 in the team’s second game against UCONN. If he goes undrafted he’s another player the Bulls should add unless they have other plans in place.
Kai Sotto
The next player the Bulls will be bringing in for a workout comes from an international league.
The Chicago Bulls are showing interest in draft prospect Kai Sotto and are working on bringing him in for a workout, per sources.
Sotto is 7-foot-2 and played basketball for the Adelaide 36ers in the Australian NBL.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 31, 2022
Center Kai Sotto played for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia. He’s played one season in the Australian league and is an intriguing prospect solely based on his size. Sotto is 7’2″ and 240 lb. The Bulls need more depth at the center position and more importantly, they need a center with size. The Bulls got torched in the paint last season and they need to add more big bodies to this team. Sotto is a player who I didn’t come across in any mock drafts so again this looks like a player the team would add after going undrafted. His stats aren’t anything too impressive but his size alone will get him a lot of interest. If the Bulls want to add some size to this team it wouldn’t be surprising if Sotto found a spot on the Bulls after the draft is over.
Dominick Barlow
The final player the Bulls will be bringing in is a player whose path to the NBA is different than most.
The Chicago Bulls have scheduled a workout with draft prospect Dominick Barlow that will happen this week, per sources.
Barlow is a forward and played this past season through Overtime Elite.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) June 1, 2022
Forward Dominick Barlow has been playing with Overtime Elite since September 2021. Overtime Elite is a new professional league that gives players an alternative to college while still giving them a path to the draft. Barlow has shown vast improvement since coming to Overtime Elite and looks like a second-round pick with first-round talent. He’s certainly a player to watch out for as the only way teams can evaluate him will be in their own private workouts. If the Bulls are looking to move into the second round then Barlow may be who they are targeting. This team needs more depth at the forward position and Barlow could be what they are looking for. If he goes undrafted I’m sure the Bulls will be the first to call.
The front office may be up to something
Bulls management knows they need to make improvements to this team and the cheapest way to do that is through the draft. With only having one pick they won’t be able to add much. If they are looking to add more than one player in this year’s draft they will certainly move back and use these workouts to make informed decisions. We likely won’t know anything until the draft but don’t be surprised if a move is made. This team does a great job of having all the information they need before making a decision. Whether that means they are moving back in the draft or not they will be ready come draft day. Some of these players may go undrafted and give the Bulls a great opportunity to add depth to this team. Either way, this front office is going to be ready for this year’s draft.
