Draft Night

The NBA Draft is tonight and the Bulls will add at least one player that they hope to make an impact in the upcoming NBA season.  The Bulls have been trying to parlay the 16^th and 26^th picks in the draft in order to acquire a lottery pick, but ESPN’s Chad Ford predicts in his latest mock draft that the Bulls, if unable to move up, will use the 16^th pick on Wake Forest forward James Johnson.  “The Bulls have been working the phones this week trying to move up in the draft,” Ford writes.  “They’ve talked to the Nets, Bobcats and Pacers about swapping the 16th and 26th picks to move up a few spots.”

“Who are they after?” asks Ford.  ”I’ve heard everything from Johnson to Blair to Hansbrough to Williams to Mullens here.  Last night a new name, Omri Casspi, surfaced as a possibility.  To be honest, I can’t get a terrific handle on which way they are leaning.  Blair is the most physical.  Casspi isn’t far behind.  Hansbrough is the most NBA-ready.  Mullens has the most upside.  Johnson is somewhere in between.  I’m not sure exactly how Johnson fits in Chicago with Luol Deng on one side and Tyrus Thomas on the other, but there’s no question about his upside.”  My contention is that the Bulls will pull the trigger on Blair if he’s available at 16 and will look to get someone like Toney Douglas or Wayne Ellington later in the first round.

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