The Chicago Bulls have a lot to be optimistic about as they can count on the return of a healthy Derrick Rose to complement their all-star center in Joakim Noah and up-and-comer Taj Gibson. Assuming the Bulls plan to amnesty the contract of Carlos Boozer they not only have sufficient salary-cap room to sign a free-agent; they can go shopping for an elite one like Carmelo Anthony.
Before any free-agency frenzy can commence, the Bulls must first cope with the upcoming NBA Entry Draft where they will hope to add a serviceable newbie to a squad that is close to contending for an NBA Championship. History of late has not been favourable for the Bulls when it comes to draft picks. Aside from striking lottery gold in 2008 and getting Rose they have only been able to add Gibson and Jimmy Butler to the mix despite having nine draft picks since.
While the Bulls will spend money to ensure that they keep pace in the Eastern Conference they would also do well to put some attention towards the Entry Draft. The Bulls have the 19th and the 16th overall pick in this draft. Despite the fact that will miss out on the bigger names the draft has to offer, there could very well be a gem waiting for them here with these picks.
Biggest Draft Day Needs:
The Bulls will have to address their front court needs via free-agency. If the amnesty of Boozer goes ahead as everyone thinks it will then the Bulls will have a significant amount of money to pursue guys. Even if the Bulls keep Boozer around then they still have a fairly significant need and that is in the backcourt.
Kirk Hinrich is a free agent and he represents 121 games started over the past two seasons for the Bulls. He might not be the player he once was but he is one that logs solid minutes and plays consistently. D.J. Augustin is also a free agent and despite saying that he wishes to return to the Bulls next season one can bet that it won’t be for the paltry sum of $600 thousand that he played for last season.
Augustin played over 30 minutes a night and posted a career high 14.9 ppg for the Bulls. The loss of Augustin will hurt the Bulls. The potential loss of both Hinrich and Augustin will be very damaging. Finding a youthful replacement player in the backcourt has to be a priority for the Bulls this draft. If they can grab a shooting guard with the 16th pick that would open up the possibilities at the 19th spot.
A solid addition here with the 16th pick would be the former Kentucky Wildcat James Young. Young would add some decent size to the shooting guard spot as he measured at 6’6” with a 7’ wingspan. Young is a quintessential shooter, he doesn’t have great speed or footwork but he does have a fluid and smooth stroke that allowed him to attempt more spot-up jumpers than other other player in the country last season. With coaching and time he could become the much needed perimeter scoring punch for the Bulls.
If Young can be had at the 16th spot, the Bulls will be able to roll the dice on their 19th overall pick. Considering that the Bulls could potentially have to pay two first-round picks guaranteed money from this draft they would do well to look to the international talent pool. The Swiss born Clint Capela represents an intriguing pick here as the supremely talented power forward has unique raw skills that may someday be impactful in the Association.
By drafting Capela and not signing him right away the Bulls could save some salary cap money yet still keep the rights to a still only 19 year-old physical specimen of a player. Capela measures in at an impressive 6’11” and 222 pounds but what really grabs you is the 7’4.5” standing reach that this young man possesses. If he could add another 15 pounds of muscle to his frame and develop a bit of a mean streak to him he could be an imposing force in the middle for the Bulls moving forward.