The Chicago Bulls pull off a notable trade in this 2022 NBA mock draft

With their first pick in the draft, the Bulls select Ohio State shooting guard Malaki Branham. Immediately, the Bulls find some shooting off the bench. One of the weak spots of this roster over the course of the year was three-point shooting — especially when Lonzo Ball went out.

If nothing else, Branham brings elite three-point shooting to this Bulls rotation. Last year, he shot 41.6 percent from deep. The Bulls struggled to find scoring off the bench, especially in the playoffs, when guys like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were off the floor. Branham is going to bring that scoring mentality to the Bulls immediately.

What’s nice about his game is that Branham reminds many of DeRozan in the midrange. He gets to his spots and creates shots like a pro. This aspect of his game will translate well to the NBA and it will help to have someone like DeRozan there to mentor him as well.

At 6-foot-5, Branham has an exceptionally large wingspan (6-foot-11) and could potentially be a strong on-ball defender. That’s something he’ll have to develop more in the near future if he is going to last a while in the league. But, as for an immediate impact, Branham will give the Bulls some scoring — much, much-needed scoring. Last year, he averaged 13.7 points (on 49.8 percent shooting), 3.6 boards and 2.8 assists for the Buckeyes.