Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls didn’t have a pick to work with. Their first-rounder belonged to the Orlando Magic via the Nikola Vucevic trade, and they lost both of the seconds they had, too, one via trade and one because the NBA determined that they tampered when signing Lonzo Ball, forcing them to forfeit the selection.
However, the Bulls made some noise. They traded into the NBA Draft and picked up Tennessee forward Julian Phillips with the 34th pick, which they acquired from the Sacramento Kings. Phillips will bring a nice defensive presence to the Bulls’ frontcourt.
That being said, the Draft Digest Staff, who wrote an article on the pick for Sports Illustrated, graded Chicago’s night a B-, noting that Phillips will be a project.
“It took trading into the second-round, but the Bulls ended up finding a way to get a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” they wrote. “With that selection, they landed a defensive-minded prospect in Phillips. He’s more of a project pick, but has a ton of upside if he can develop a more well-rounded game. In his one season at Tennessee, he looked like a first-round talent at times, but others was less than impressive.”
They also spoke about the addition of UConn center Adama Sanogo, who the Bulls signed to a two-way deal after the draft.
“The Bulls also landed Adama Sanogo on a two-way deal as an undrafted free agent, which was a quality pickup,” they wrote. “Considering the fact that Chicago came into Thursday’s draft without a single pick, it was a successful event. Relative to the circumstances, the Bulls’ night deserves a solid grade.”
While the addition of Phillips to the roster will give Chicago a nice infusion of youth, they could have used a win-now piece in the draft. Instead, they will take on another project with a player who’s less-than-stellar from beyond the three-point arc.
Meanwhile, Sanogo is a solid pick-up, but again, he’s not a great three-point shooter, which is Chicago’s biggest need.
Maybe not an ideal night.
