The Chicago Bulls are standing on the precipice of a potentially franchise-changing decision.
With the Nos. 4 and 15 draft picks in their arsenal, the Bulls can lay the foundation for a new era of success — or disappointment. They are widely expected to select the last remaining option from a stacked top four of BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
So which player should Bulls fans be praying falls to No. 4? And who could make the biggest impact at No. 15? Finding the right answers will be among the earliest and most difficult tasks for new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham.
In the weeks leading up to the June 23-24 draft, the Tribune will break down each of the top options for the No. 4 pick — plus take a look at the wide array of talent that might be available at No. 15.
Let’s get started with a look at Wilson and a few jumbo options for the middle of the first round.
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Carolina connection
It’s hard to find a draft projection that doesn’t predict Wilson landing in Chicago.
The top of the order is a little less certain. There isn’t a full consensus that Dybantsa will go first, leaving room for the Washington Wizards to potentially waver over the decision. But most insiders predict the top three to fall in some order of Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer, with Wilson always bringing up the rear.
This pecking order belies the fact that Wilson might have the highest athletic upside of the bunch — and could offer a unique fit for the Bulls’ vision of the future.
Wilson might be in a different position if he hadn’t broken his right thumb in early March and missed the NCAA Tournament, limiting his freshman tape to the regular season. Still, the 6-foot-9 forward showed in that truncated timeline that he might be the best athlete in the lottery.
He averaged 2.8 dunks per game for the Tar Heels, showcasing an explosive, aggressive physicality that should flourish in the NBA as his body matures. Most importantly, Wilson is fueled by a relentless motor, a gift that simply can’t be coached.
Plus there’s the pedigree. The Bulls have made two first-round selections from North Carolina in their history. One was Coby White in 2019. The other was Michael Jordan in 1984. Wilson hasn’t shied away from pointing out this pipeline in his predraft interviews — a reflection of the 19-year-old’s confidence.
“I’m a winner,” Wilson said during an ESPN interview in response to a question about potentially joining the Bulls. “I’m going to change their culture. I’m going to bring it back to what it was for sure.”
Wilson will need work. While he improved his offensive game over the course of his freshman season, he also showed some glaring weaknesses in on-ball defense, a common issue when a natural athlete overrelies on his physicality, especially at the point of attack.
While he shot 58% from the field, Wilson made a subpar 25.9% behind the 3-point arc with barely one attempt per game. If he hopes to reach true NBA stardom, he’ll need to build out his skills as a creator, shooter and defender.
But the Bulls have the luxury of time. Their lengthy rebuilding schedule lends itself well to a player like Wilson who might need several years of development. If the current predictions prove true, the Bulls might have the perfect project to begin their franchise makeover.
Going big at No. 15?
The Bulls have a sprawling sandbox to work within for the No. 15 pick, which they could use on anything from a point guard to wing depth. So what if they opted to build out the future frontcourt with this selection?
After trading Nikola Vučević at the deadline in February, the Bulls don’t have a clear successor at center. Jalen Smith has been a workable (and affordable) short-term option but hasn’t shown the ability to elevate his offensive game in order to stand out as an NBA starter. Zach Collins also has showed flashes of ability but has struggled to stay healthy.
While the Bulls could take a crack at a new starting big man in free agency — top names such as Jalen Duren and Mark Williams will be restricted free agents this summer — drafting a new center would offer a more financially nimble way to address the future of the position.
If Bulls fans want to dream big in this scenario, they can light a few prayer candles that Aday Mara — the 7-3 big man out of Michigan — somehow tumbles a few spots to be available at No. 15. Is this likely to happen? No. Would it be an automatic win for the Bulls? Absolutely.
Mara is surprisingly nimble for his size, moves well without the ball and finishes above the rim. The Spaniard’s presence alongside (presumably) Wilson and Matas Buzelis would allow the Bulls to play a more vertical style, something they’ve lacked for years.
Mara isn’t a perfect project. He’s a poor shooter from outside the restricted area — he took only 10 3-point attempts last season and shot 56.4% from the free-throw line — and it’s unclear how far he can comfortably stray from the rim on defense. But his potential as a shot-blocking, rim-finishing big man would be tantalizing for a rebuilding team like the Bulls.
More realistically, the Bulls could take a shot at another 7-3 big by drafting Luigi Suigo, a 19-year-old Italian who played professionally in Serbia rather than coming to the U.S. for college basketball. Suigo is massive, gobbles up the ball at the rim on defense and would offer a true lob threat that the Bulls have been missing.
If neither of those oversized options pan out, the Bulls would have to look slightly below 7 feet for a potential center, such as Washington’s 6-10 Hannes Steinbach and Houston’s 6-10 Chris Cenac Jr. Both players border on “tweener” territory as slightly undersized centers, but they could overcome that concern by continuing to bulk up and improve their shooting.
Steinbach has showed an eagerness to shoot 3-pointer that could pair nicely with his proven ability to finish at the rim. Cenac lacks efficiency and foul discipline at times — a weakness that was on display in the NCAA Tournament — but also has shown the potential to dominate the paint both as a defender and a scorer.
