By this point, it seems rather clear what the Chicago Bulls will do at #4 overall in the NBA draft Tuesday night. Almost every expert believes it will be North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, barring a shocking twist. The real drama for Bulls fans will be what happens with the 15th pick. Expectations are that there will be lots of movement between the 6th pick and the end of the lottery range. That means almost anybody could end up falling to the Bulls. Will VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham keep it simple and take the best player or does he have more audacious plans in mind?
We’ve heard rumors about the Bulls possibly considering a move up the board for one of the players they like, notably Illinois guard Keaton Wagler and Michigan center Aday Mara. That, however, seems unlikely. Instead, they might be thinking with a little more creativity. Jeremy Woo of ESPN revealed in his recent column that Chicago could consider using the 15th pick as bait for a competitive team to trade up. One example is by taking Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who many feel is among the most pro-ready in the class.
“Lendeborg is an option for every team in the 11-to-16 range. He will be more appealing to teams angling to compete next season, including the Warriors and Thunder, with his landing spot dependent to some extent on the decisions those teams make. If he falls, he would hold a best-available argument starting here with Chicago.
In their first offseason under new leadership, the Bulls have cap space at their disposal and have signaled to other teams that they are open to all types of moves, including with this selection. They were able to bring in several players for workouts and will have great familiarity with players in their range if they move around.”
The Chicago Bulls could dangle Lendeborg to current playoff teams.
There is no shortage of organizations that made the postseason last season who have serious needs at the forward positions. Oklahoma City (17th pick) is one example. The San Antonio Spurs (#20), Detroit Pistons (#21), and Philadelphia 76ers (#22) are some others. All are within striking distance of the Bulls at #15. Could one of them think aggressively enough to come after Lendeborg, who could start immediately and give any team a tough frontcourt presence that can rebound and play defense?
Graham might be willing to find out. He already showed his savvy understanding of the NBA landscape by swiping Nic Claxton from Brooklyn in the Timberwolves-Nets trade for Julius Randle. It isn’t hard to imagine that he thinks there will be some parties interested in coming up for someone like Lendeborg. Much will depend on who else is available. If somebody unexpected drops, the Bulls may just stick and pick. If not, finding ways to accumulate more future assets remains the goal.
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It feels like the plan of attack is clear.
Presuming the Chicago Bulls get Wilson at #4, Graham’s goal is likely to land a guard with that second 1st rounder. They just secured center help with the trade for Nic Claxton. So, unless one of the top centers in this draft class slips, that is where they will focus. This can be accomplished in one of two ways. Either they draft one themselves at #15, or another team could offer them a credible guard via trade to move up. That is, unless Graham believes he can still land a quality one a bit later in the round.
We already know the Bulls VP isn’t afraid to think creatively. We saw it with the Claxton deal. If he’s thinking long-term, then flipping the 15th pick for extra draft capital and/or a young player on a controllable contract is the way to go. So much hinges on what happens between picks #6 through #14. There is a lot of mystery about what will happen there. All it takes is the right player to find his way through the cracks to potentially kick off a small bidding war for Chicago’s spot.
