Chicago Bulls: 5 potential targets with the no. 7 pick

Center Mo Bamba, Texas

If Mo Bamba is on the board at no. 7, I would be shocked if the Bulls pass him up. Out of everybody on this list, Bamba intrigues me the most. He screams future-NBA Defensive Player of the Year. With his ridiculous 7-foot-10 wingspan (official number from the NBA Combine) and 7-foot frame, Bamba is his opposition’s worst nightmare in the post.

They just don’t make defensive players like this anymore. But, Bamba isn’t all defense. He shot over 54 percent from the floor in his only season with the Longhorns and, at times, showed he has the potential to become a legitimate three-point shooter. He only shot around 27 percent from distance last year, but his willingness to take those shots, and occasionally knock them down, speaks volumes.

On the defensive side, Bamba averaged a monstrous 3.7 blocks per game in 2017-2018. If you ask him, he thinks he’s far and away the best player in this draft. Per AZ Central’s Scott Bordow, Bamba had this to say:

"“Absolutely I should be the No. 1 pick. I do more, but I require less, both on the court and off the court. I feel as if I’m the most efficient guy in this draft class.”"

Bamba would probably come in right away and start at center, depending on what the Bulls decide to do with Robin Lopez. Even if Lopez is still a Bull next year, I’d think the opportunity to start both Bamba and Markkanen would be too great for Fred Hoiberg to pass up. He and Markkanen would give the Bulls a very different and intriguing pairing in the front court, and both could become vital pieces to the team’s future.