Chicago Bulls add 2 major pieces in Bleacher Report’s latest NBA mock draft

The Chicago Bulls have two picks in the NBA lottery, but do not know exactly what number these picks are going to be. The NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Sunday, but mock drafts have been either using a simulator or going by win percentage to determine the order. One mock draft has been shaking it up with the draft simulator in order to give each team different options of who they can take. Let’s take a closer look at who Bryson Graham could wind up selecting in the first round of his first NBA draft with the Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls draft an elite guard with their first pick

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote a mock draft lottery ahead of the actual lottery taking place. For Chicago, they were able to land the ninth and 15th picks in this draft. Their first pick has the team selecting Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon Jr. Below is what he said regarding the pick:

“The Bulls have one of the least convincing collections of long-term keepers among all of the rebuilders. Theree might not be a single self-sufficient scorer within that group. Adding Philon here would help ease that concern. Even if he’s more of an undersized scorer than a traditional point guard, that’s fine. In fact, it might make it easy for him to slot alongside Josh Giddey, a pass-first player with limited scoring punch. Philon’s ignitable shooting should help him thrive in an off-ball role, but Chicago would want to give him plenty of on-ball reps, too. He is shifty with the basketball while being a scoring threat on the move.”

Philon had a change of roles ahead of the NCAA Tournament this year when teammate Aiden Holloway was removed from the team. On the floor, he averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game with 45.2/41.5/76.7 shooting splits. While Chicago has not hired a coach yet, Philon has shown the ability to play in a high-octane offense at Alabama. He also has a 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame, so he can have a great ability to wear down the opposing defense and push the pace.

Chicago’s current guard situation includes Josh Giddey, Isaac Okoro, Tre Jones, and Rob Dillingham, so landing Philon would be major for the team. This is not the first time that the Bulls have been mocked to select Philon either. This would give the Bulls a sign that they have an elite playmaking guard immediately for the roster.

Chicago Bulls add national champion center with second lottery pick

This pick comes via the Portland Trail Blazers from a trade back in 2021 finally being finalized. This mock draft has them addressing the center position and they select center Aday Mara from the Michigan Wolverines. Below is what Buckley said about this selection:

“The Bulls are so early into their rebuild that they don’t have to force a team need into their consideration. That said, if the draft board breaks right, you’d think they’d prefer to find a long-term interior anchor. Well, this mock helped make that happen with Mara and his unique skill set still sitting on the board. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo called Mara ‘the most gifted center in the draft, both skill-and size-wise,’ highlighting the 7’3″ center’s paint protection, play finishing and keen eye for passing.”

Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game en route to the national championship. In a game where the huge centers are not as prevalent as they were in previous eras, this gives the Bulls a true big man. He has shown the ability to defend the paint well, but needs to improve at expanding his offensive game. However, centers like Rudy Gobert, DeAndre Ayton, and Victor Wembanyama exist so there’s still a potential need for size. It will be intriguing how the front office views size going into the draft.

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