Will it be Mickael Pietrus? Or Dwyane Wade? Could a trade be in the works?
If history is an indicator, whomever the Bulls pick seventh in Thursday’s NBA draft may bode well for the team’s future.
Tribune Bulls reporter K.C. Johnson lists the best players taken at that slot. The draft airs at 6 p.m. ESPN.
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John Havlicek, Boston, 1962
Hall of Famer won eight NBA titles with the Celtics and is considered one of the greatest clutch players in league history. A 13-time All-Star, “Hondo” averaged 20.8 points over 16 seasons and was also one of the game’s great defenders.
Kevin Johnson, Cleveland, 1987
Traded to Phoenix in his rookie season and helped lead the Suns to 10 straight postseason appearances, including an NBA Finals loss to the Bulls in 1993.
Three-time All-Star averaged 17.9 points and 9.1 assists.
Chris Mullin, Golden St., 1985
Averaged 18.2 points on 50.9 percent shooting over 16-year career, which included one NBA Finals appearance with Indiana and a spot on the original “Dream Team” in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. A four-time All-Star.
Bernard King, New Jersey, 1977
An explosive scorer who averaged 22.5 points and shot 51.8 percent for five teams over 15 seasons. Named to four All-Star teams and won the 1981 Comeback Player of the Year Award after undergoing major knee reconstruction.
Luc Longley, Minnesota, 1991
A sentimental pick, Longley was the first Australian in the NBA and shot 46 percent over a 10-year career shortened by foot injuries.
And who can forget those three titles with the Bulls?
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Edited by the Sports staff of RedEye.
