Thursday night, the Chicago Bulls will have to wait a while before making their only pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
In a draft class viewed as much-improved over the 2020 class, the Bulls are missing out on some potential stars they could have selected with the no. 8 overall pick. Instead, that pick went to the Orlando Magic as part of the trade that landed Nikola Vucevic in Chicago.
Getting an All Star center, though, was well-worth the trade. In the end, the Bulls showed aggressiveness through Arturas Karnisovas’ deal to net another star player in Chicago.
Now, the Bulls will be waiting until the 38th overall pick in the draft tonight before they can make a selection. If they wanted to, Chicago could absolutely try and move into the first.
The Chicago Bulls have assets in which other teams are interested in, and could be moved prior to the 2021 NBA Draft.
Over the past few months, two particular players have come up in regards to moves the Bulls could make. Both guard Tomas Satoransky and forward Thaddeus Young are possible trade chips the Bulls could use in order to move up in the draft.
Satoransky has received trade buzz as of late, especially with how he’s performed in Olympic action. He proved he’s a versatile guard and even took on a starting role for Chicago last year when head coach Billy Donovan reverted Coby White to the bench.
Satoransky being dealt would save the Bulls $5 million in cap space, which would be even more financial ammunition for Karnisovas when free agency begins next week.
A potential scenario for Satoransky being traded would be with a team like the Denver Nuggets, who suffered a huge loss when Jamal Murray went down to injury last year. Satoransky could help aid their depth immensely should anything happen to Murray down the line.
The most interesting name, though, is Young. Last season, Young played some of the best basketball of his career on a per-36 minute basis. He definitely received some interest closer to the trade deadline last season, but the Bulls hung onto him. Young is entering the final year of a 3-year contract with the Bulls and would be a big part of any success they had in 2021-2022.
But, if you look at a team like, say, the Phoenix Suns, a trade for Young could be one move that puts them over the top. The Suns have the no. 29 overall pick, which may not seem like much, but in a deeper class it could net the Bulls a key, young player for the future.
One other team that will likely be aggressive in loading up for a run next season is the Los Angeles Lakers, who own the number 22 overall pick. Getting a versatile forward like Young, alongside LeBron James, would make them even deeper.
If one of these players is to be dealt, tonight would be the time to do it. Getting into the first round could be a momentum shift for the future of this Bulls team.
