The Chicago Bulls enter this offseason with $60 million in cap space, a new front office, two first-round picks, and a former first-round pick coming back from injury. That's a perfect setting for a team that was long overdue for a rebuild.
While most people have focused on the No. 4 pick -- and rightfully so -- the Bulls might actually land another franchise-altering player 11 selections later. This class is as deep as we've seen in years, and it's probably the best year to have more than one first-rounder.
With Caleb Wilson, Cameron Boozer, or Darryn Peterson already on the team at No. 4, Bryson Graham can double down and finally solve this team's never-ending woes in the interior by taking Michigan's Aday Mara.
Aday Mara is tailor-made for the Chicago Bulls
The Bulls haven't had a true interior presence since prime Joakim Noah. Pau Gasol wasn't much of a defensive force, and his ability to step out to the perimeter made him more of a stretch big. Also, he wasn't in his prime when he played in Chicago.
Notably, Aday Mara can give them a bit of both. Standing at 7-foot-3, he's the ultimate shot disruptor in the restricted area. He can clean both sides of the glass, swat shots, and finish with put-backs over most defenders. Then, as a fellow Spaniard, he can also create for others. Like Gasol, he's a willing passer with a high basketball IQ, and he loves to get his teammates involved.
Mara was instrumental in helping the Wolverines win the national championship this season. He's lighter on his feet than most guys his size, and while he still needs to bulk up after carrying some baby fat with him, he can be a two-way menace once he grows into his frame.
The Bulls might already have a massive frontcourt with Noa Essengue and either Wilson or Boozer. Adding Mara by their side would give whoever is the coach a team with elite switching potential that could be a matchup nightmare for everybody else in the league.
The NBA is pivoting toward superhuman big men. Mara can certainly hold his ground against the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, at least in terms of size. And while most of the spotlight will go toward whoever they take with the No. 4 pick, he's the type of cerebral and versatile big man who could have a very long and successful career in the pros, sort of like a bigger Al Horford without the range at this point in his development.
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