Chicago Bulls: 5 players worth trading back for in 2019 NBA Draft
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bulls will not land a franchise-changing player at no. 7, so what about trading back to build depth?
It is time to face the reality of the situation, everyone. The Chicago Bulls may have finished with the fourth-worst record in the entire NBA last season, but the league didn’t care. This year, the league made a bold attempt to spread out the odds of each lottery pick amongst all qualifying teams.
The Bulls, unfortunately, fell back three spots to the no. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. This marks the third straight year Chicago will bring home a player at the seventh selection.
While all the talk had been about the odds of the Bulls landing guys like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, or even R.J. Barrett, they won’t have a chance to do so from their current position. Even Darius Garland will likely be off the board by then, as he is rumored to have received a promise from the Phoenix Suns, who pick right in front of the Bulls at no. 6.
At the moment, many fans like the idea of the Bulls drafting North Carolina point guard Coby White; that is, of course, if the Bulls stay put at number seven. Personally, I’d be on board with White. I like the potential he’d offer the Bulls, and he may even solidify the starting position.
But, if the Bulls decide to trade the pick, what would come of that situation? Sure, they could use it in a deal to land a current player. However, what about the idea of trading back to acquire additional picks? We already know free agency won’t be kind to the Bulls, so doubling up on first-round picks could be a serious option for Gar Forman and John Paxson.
If the Bulls decided to do that, here are five players worth targeting later in the first round.