Chicago Bulls: Grading each move made this offseason

Bulls draft Lauri Markkanen with 7th pick in 2017 NBA Draft

Chicago Bulls Grade: C-

As soon as the Bulls’ trade with the Timberwolves was announced, I had my eye on one specific player, North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Smith was on the board when the Bulls went on the clock, but they instead opted for Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen.

There is plenty to like about Markkanen’s game, but passing up Smith was a significant mistake by the Chicago Bulls and drastically lowers the grade on this pick.

Smith is an extremely athletic point guard who has huge offensive upside. He has true superstar potential and is in a great position to reach it with the Dallas Mavericks (who took him with the ninth overall pick).

With his fast-paced game and ability to shoot from the outside, Smith would have been a perfect fit for Hoiberg’s offense and a legitimate player for the Bulls to build around. Passing on him will prove to be a major mistake.

Many will point to Kris Dunn as the reason the Bulls passed on Smith. Dunn was the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and is looked at as their point guard of the future. However, drafting for need is always a mistake. NBA teams who simply take the best player available do the best in the draft.

Plus, I strongly believe that Smith and Dunn could have played together at times. Smith is a fantastic offensive weapon, while Dunn is an impressive defensive player. They would have only been able to play with each other against smaller lineups, but when it was possible, this could have been a duo that worked.

Alright, enough of Smith. He is in Dallas and there is nothing we can do about that. Let’s take a look at Lauri Markkanen.

Markkanen is an interesting prospect in his own right. There will always be a place in the NBA for a seven-footer who can shoot from the outside. Markkanen undoubtedly has a nice offensive ceiling at the next level.

That being said, the rest of his game is a major work in progress. He is a true seven-footer, but Markkanen does not play like it. He is way too soft inside and provides almost no rim protection. If Markkanen can somehow improve his rebounding skills and rim protection ability enough to play the five, the Bulls will have an extremely interesting player. However, he is most likely nothing more than a stretch four, which undoubtedly limits his upside.

I think Markkanen could quickly become a nice rotation player for the Bulls, but he must improve his overall game if he is ever going to become a true impact player. Dennis Smith Jr. is an impact player out of the gate and I will stand by the Bulls making a mistake with this pick until I am proved wrong.