Chicago Bulls claim David Nwaba, a young player with an impressive skillset

The Chicago Bulls claimed David Nwaba from the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Nwaba is an athletic wing who has some nice long-term upside, especially on the defensive end.

After signing Summer League star Antonio Blakeney to a two-way contract on Friday, the Chicago Bulls were not done making moves. After the Los Angeles Lakers signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they made room on their roster by waiving David Nwaba. The Bulls claim Nwaba on waivers and have appeared to find a strong player to help in their rebuild.

Nwaba is a 24-year-old, 6-foot-4 two-guard who scored 6 points and pulled down 3.2 rebounds per game in 20 games for the Lakers last season. Nwaba spent most of his time (40 games) in the G-League last season, where he averaged, 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

Fantastic defensive ability

Nwaba undoubtedly showed the ability to score in the G-League, but he is most impressive on the defensive end. Nwaba is a tough and athletic defender who can legitimately guard the 1-3 positions on the perimeter. He is also a fantastic help defender, showing elite-level rim protection skills for a 6-foot-4 guard.

The Cal Poly product is not a perfect player, but he undoubtedly has defensive stopper upside in the NBA. The Bulls were wise to take a shot on him and see what he can bring them off of the bench. If Nwaba impresses next season, he could easily become an important part of their future.

Not an offensive liability

While his defense and ability to rebound from the guard position is the best part of his game, Nwaba is far from an offensive liability. He is never going to stretch the defense with his outside shooting, but Nwaba has the power and athleticism to attack the rim with authority.

Nwaba loves to play above the rim, showing the ability to consistently throw down power slams like this:

But he can also finish with finesse when needed.

Nwaba is not a fantastic overall offensive player. He cannot shoot from the outside and is not much of a facilitator. However, does finish extremely well around the rim and is particularly effective in transition.

Nwaba is a legitimate defensive enforcer who can make an impact on the offensive end as well. The Chicago Bulls did a really nice job here adding a young player who can help them through this rebuild. Nwaba is never going to be a superstar, but his well-rounded skill set gives him a great chance to be an important role player.

Next: Denzel Valentine making his case to run the Bulls' offense

I don’t say this often, but GarPax did a nice job here.