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It’s nearly time for the NBA draft and the Chicago Bulls are positioned to build on last season’s playoff appearance with the No. 18 pick.
The draft has been a critical building block for the Bulls, whose recent selections of Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams created a new young core. So who will join the group alongside DeMar DeRozan and company?
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- 2021: Ayo Dosunmu (38th overall)
- 2020: Patrick Williams (4th overall) and Marko Simonović (44th overall)
- 2019: Coby White (7th overall) and Daniel Gafford (38th overall)
- 2018: Wendell Carter Jr. (7th overall) and Chandler Hutchison (22nd overall)
- 2017: Justin Patton (16th overall, traded with Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen) and Jordan Bell (38th overall, traded to the Golden State Warriors for cash considerations)
The No. 18 pick is slightly lower hanging fruit than the first ten slots in the draft, but it still is a high enough position to select an impact player — or to leverage an effective trade for immediate payoff in the 2022-23 season.
Heading into the offseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas emphasized the Bulls are focused on keeping Zach LaVine in Chicago and making auxiliary trades to support the current All-Star core. That doesn’t mean a blockbuster trade is completely off the table, but the Bulls would be more likely to package the pick along with a bench player like Coby White to make a meaningful trade.
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The Bulls could find depth in this year’s draft, which is steeped with enough talent to make even the lowest first-round picks remain appealing.
- Age: 20
- Position: Center
- School: Duke
- Height: 7-foot-2
- Weight: 242
A powerful center who carves out a presence around the rim, Williams could be an immediate answer for the Bulls after a season desperately lacking size and strength in the paint. The biggest question is whether Williams will even fall this low — he is a hot prospect after recording the longest wingspan at the combine (7-foot-7) and breaking a Duke field goal percentage record (72.1% on over 100 attempts).
- Age: 21
- Position: Forward
- School: Ohio State
- Height: 6-foot-7
- Weight: 243 pounds
A lengthy forward with perimeter shooting range, Liddell could slot in as a role player after three seasons with Ohio State. Liddell’s most important asset for the Bulls would be interior defense, where he can provide shot blocking and size to back up Nikola Vučević.
The fact Liddell grew up downstate in Belleville only adds to the Bulls’ recent effort to bring in Illinois talent like Dosunmu.
- Age: 19
- Position: Forward
- School: Baylor
- Height: 6-foot-9
- Weight: 230
Another defense-first forward to keep an eye on is Sochan, who made an impact on the Baylor front court during his only NCAA season. Sochan’s stock has been soaring since the combine — during which he named Draymond Green and Jrue Holiday as inspirations — so he might not be available when the Bulls make their pick. But if they can snatch him up, Sochan wouldimmediately impact a defense that needs reinforcement.
- Age: 21
- Position: Guard/Forward
- School: Santa Clara
- Height: 6-foot-6
- Weight: 209 pounds
If the Bulls don’t look for size in their draft selection, they could target a wing player with the versatility to slot in behind LaVine. Williams would be an obvious choice — a playmaking guard who averaged 18 points per game on 39.6% 3-point shooting for Santa Clara last season. Although he’s a little undersized, Williams would help the guard rotation.
- Age: 22
- Position: Guard/Forward
- School: Kansas
- Height: 6-foot-6
- Weight: 215 pounds
If the Bulls want to add a versatile guard, look no further than a recent national champion who finished his final season with Kansas as Big 12 Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Agbaji is one of the more veteran players coming through the draft, and he consistently improved his shooting (averaging 18.8 points per game last season) and playmaking throughout his four-year career. That growth will need to continue to carve out a place in the NBA, but Agbaji’s versatility and defense on the wing could add a rotational improvement with a high ceiling for the future.
