Have Bulls Made a Promise to Mullens?

Word is that Ohio State center B.J. Mullens has received a promise from a team drafting in the top 16 and, as a result, has shut down his workouts.  A promise is when a team tells a player that they will draft him if he’s available at their pick as long as he stops working out for other teams.  There is speculation that the Bulls are the team that gave Mullens the promise.  “The word out of the workouts in New Jersey was that Ohio State’s B.J. Mullens skipped the workout because he had been promised to be picked in the top 16,” writes ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.  “The top 16 probably means No. 16, which is the Chicago Bulls.  Mullens would be a really good fit for Chicago, as he has huge upside and plays a position of need.  He’s a long ways away, but the Bulls probably could afford to gamble at this point in the draft.”

It’s not 100 percent certain that the promise came from Chicago, though.  “A few other teams, including the Knicks, Bobcats and Suns, also are considering Mullens, but it is most likely that he’ll be on the board at No. 16 when the Bulls pick,” Ford said.  Mullens will need some time to develop but he’s got top five-caliber talent.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Bulls Could Trade Picks

Could the Bulls be looking to move one or both of their first-round picks to acquire an impact veteran player?  For the right deal, just about any team would do that.  ESPN’s Chad Ford recently noted the Bulls as one of the teams that may be willing to move a first-round selection.  He said this in connection to a rumor that the Celtics are looking to acquire picks and Ray Allen is on the trading block.  “If Boston can’t find a workable deal in the top five, several other teams including the Nets (11), Pistons (15), Bulls (16, 26), Wolves (18), Kings (23) and Grizzlies (27) are open to moving their picks, writes Ford.  ”While those wouldn’t be high enough to land Evans, it would get the Celtics a solid pick in the first.”

If the team could ship the 16^th and 26^th picks for Ray Allen, they’d have to pull the trigger.  Allen killed the Bulls in their playoff series with the Celtics this year and it would be nice to have him on their side next season.  Allen, though aging, is still a really good shooting guard and would make it easier for the Bulls to let Ben Gordon walk this summer.  The Bulls would have to include a large contract to make a deal work financially.  It’s probably a long shot, but worth mentioning.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Rose Apologizes For Photo

Bulls guard Derrick Rose has apologized after a photo of him flashing a gang sign surfaced recently.  “Recently, a photo has been circulating on the Internet which appears to depict me flashing a gang sign,” Rose said in a statement.  ”This photo of me was taken at a party I attended in Memphis while I was in school there, and was meant as a joke … a bad one, I now admit.  I want to emphatically state, now and forever, that Derrick Rose is anti-gang, anti-drug, and anti-violence.  I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with any gang and I can’t speak loudly enough against gang violence, and the things that gangs represent.”

Rose recently came under fire concerning SAT scores that may not have been substantiated as well.  These two issues are small chinks in his previously squeaky clean image, but nothing to make too much of a big deal about.  “In posing for this picture, I am guilty of being young, naive and of using extremely poor judgment. I sincerely apologize to all my fans for my mistake,” Rose also said in the statement.  “I pride myself on being a good citizen, and role model, that young people can look up to and I want to urge all my young fans to stay away from gangs and gang-related activities.”

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Potential Import

While it’s becoming clearer which prospects the Bulls will be targeting with their first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft (16^th overall), it’s less clear who the Bulls will focus on with their second selection (26^th overall).  HoopsHype.com has the team selecting Israeli forward Omri Casspi in their latest mock draft.  Casspi is viewed as one of the best European prospects in this draft class not named Ricky Rubio.  He’s a versatile small forward who HoopsHype likens to Matt Barnes.

The Web site’s description of Casspi is as follows, “Strong, athletic Israeli forward who’s established himself as a top International prospect for his age group against European and American counterparts alike.  Holds his own in his domestic league, playing against men.  A combo forward who loves to face the basket and is extremely aggressive putting the ball on the floor.  Tough, confident player who brings great energy and does not back down from anyone.  Can knock down shots from the perimeter, but has unorthodox shooting mechanics, which limits his potential in this area.  Defensively, it remains to be seen whether he can defend the small forward position in the NBA, as he lacks great lateral quickness.  A natural talent whose intensity on the floor sometimes borders on cockiness.”  There is a chance that Casspi pulls his name out of the draft, though.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Williams an Option

HoopsHype.com is projecting that the Bulls will select Louisville guard Terrence Williams with the 16^th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft later this month.  As previously discussed on this blog, Williams has a lot of talent and would fill the team’s need for a guard that can create his own offense.  HoopsHype describes Williams as an “incredibly versatile shooting guard who plays three positions at the collegiate level,” and an “outstanding athlete with great strength, terrific leaping ability, and a frame that is tailor made for professional basketball.”

The description goes on to call Williams “an excellent defender first and foremost thanks to his physical attributes, length and the hard-nosed style of play he brings to the court,” and say he “fills up the stat-sheet with assists, rebounds and turnovers.”  Williams is somewhat of an enigma in that he appears to have all the talent that one would want in a shooting guard, but has never quite put it all together on the court in college.  It may never happen for him, but the upside is still there, leaving him an intriguing prospect.  The Bulls would need a two-guard if they fail to ink Ben Gordon to a long-term deal this summer and Williams could help contribute right away.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                          

Bulls to Work Out Harangody

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody is scheduled to work out for the Bulls tomorrow as he attempts to decide whether to remain in this year’s NBA draft.  Harangody has had a very productive collegiate career for the Irish, but has a year of eligibility remaining and could return for his senior season.  Harangody is viewed as a second-round selection at best, though he’s been getting more and more love as the pre-draft process has progressed.  He’ll have five days after tomorrow’s workout to decide whether t remain in the draft or not and his feedback from Chicago could go a long way in convincing him to stay.

The Bulls could potentially look at Harangody with the 26^th overall pick in the draft, though it’s more likely that they’d consider him in the second round.  He’s a bit of a tweener between the three and four positions in the pros.  He’s got a nice midrange game, but he lacks the size and athleticism of a prototypical NBA power forward.  Harangody could develop into a solid role player, but that seems like the best-case scenario for him.  His offensive repertoire makes him worth a look for the Bulls, though, as the team could use scoring out of the frontcourt.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Draft Watch: Sam Young

The Bulls may want to look at Pittsburgh forward Sam Young with the 26th selection in this month’s NBA Draft.  The team is most definitely looking to win now and Young seems to be one of the more NBA-ready players that should be available towards the end of the first round.  Young is already 24 years old and should be able to come in and contribute right away.  He’s a talented, versatile small forward that can do a lot of different things on the offensive end.  The team is not completely sure what they’re going to get from Luol Deng this upcoming season and Young could provide a good insurance policy.

The Bulls need players that can create their own offense and Young certainly fits the bill here.  He could be a significant contributor off the bench and could even become a starter in the future.  Since he’s already 24, there is not as much room to grow as with most prospects, which is why there’s a good chance that he’ll be available at 26 come draft night.  Young played four years at Pitt and improved every season.  He averaged 19 points and six rebounds during his senior season as one of the focal points of Pitt’s attack.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Hansbrough an Option?

It seems like the idea of the Bulls drafting North Carolina standout Tyler Hansbrough with the 16^th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft is a real possibility following the former Tar Heel’s performance and measurements at the NBA combine.  “[Hansbrough is] their type of player and I think teams were impressed with his size (6-10 in shoes) at the combine,” wrote NBA draft guru Chad Ford.  ”He was also decent in the athletic testing.  He had a max 34 inch vertical.  Benched 185 pounds 18 times.  And his lane agility and sprint drills were a little above average for a big man.  In other words, he’s bigger and more athletic than we gave him credit for at UNC.”

Hansbrough’s measurements certainly help his case as an NBA player, and a productive one at that.  I’m not so sure, though, how he’d fit in on the Bulls.  The Bulls need inside scoring, and Hansbrough doesn’t exactly have a plethora of post moves.  He was able to score in college, but he’s bound to struggle at least somewhat against bigger, more athletic NBA-caliber defenders.  If he can prove he can score in workouts, though, he’d definitely be worth a look at 16.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.

Further Prospect Info

I wanted to provide some further information on the two players that Chad Ford is currently projecting the Bulls to select in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, James Johnson and DaJuan Summers.  “Johnson is a very intriguing prospect,” it says in Johnson’s ESPN.com profile.  “He’s a great athlete, has a NBA body and he’s very skilled.  He can play multiple positions on the floor and does a bit of everything on the offensive end.  Johnson has some flaws.  His basketball IQ is still fairly raw and he can get out of control at times.”

“Summers got off to a sizzling start this season and there was talk that he might be a mid-first-round pick,” Summers’ profile says.  “He has great size for his position, NBA athleticism and a terrific body and he can shoot from deep range.  He’s in many ways the prototypical NBA small forward.  However, his production really dropped off after Georgetown went into the tank. His shooting percentage went down, his turnovers went up and the team seemed to crumble around him.  Based on physical talent and abilities, Summers is a surefire late-lottery to mid-first-round pick.  However, his inability to put together one great college season has given teams pause and put him squarely on the first-round bubble.”

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

Draft Alternatives

Yesterday I noted how the two players that Chad Ford has slated going to the Bulls in the first round of his latest mock draft were quite similar to one another.  It seems to me that James Johnson and DaJuan Summers would play a similar role for the Bulls were they to be drafted by the team later this month, so I’ve taken a look at the mock draft and highlighted some players that could be an alternative to either Johnson or Summers that are still on the board at their respective projected draft positions.

Jeff Teague, Terrence Williams and Chase Budinger could all be alternatives to Johnson at the 16^th pick.  Teague could play off the ball in a Ben Gordon-type roll for the team while also backing up Derrick Rose and allowing for a trade of Kirk Hinrich this summer.  Williams would provide a slashing presence, while Budinger would provide outside shooting to the team.  If the team was to select Johnson at 16, alternatives to Summers at 26 could include Sam Young, Toney Douglas, Wayne Ellington and Derrick Brown.  Young could provide perimeter scoring and defense right away, Douglas could emulate the Gordon role, Ellington could provide outside shooting and Brown could stretch the floor from the four spot.

Get all your Chicago Bulls tickets at Stubhub.com.                         

 Page 2 of 3 « 1  2  3 »