Second-round draft picks have been becoming valuable currency lately.
That’s why the Bulls better hope that Julian Phillips turns out to be a really solid NBA rotation player.
The Bulls sent two second-round picks (a 2026 and ‘27) to the Wizards on draft night to select Phillips at No. 35, and the forward had some positive moments in the four Summer League games he played in.
The concern?
Did executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas pay too much?
For the second-consecutive summer, Central Division-rival Cleveland has sat with the No. 49 overall pick, selecting Isaiah Mobley in 2022 – yes, brother of Cavs standout Evan Mobley – and then last month selecting Emoni Bates.
All Mobley and Bates did was help lead Cleveland to the 2023 Summer League title.
A big bunch of nothing? Maybe. But also another statement from a Cleveland front office that continued making all the right moves the last two seasons, jumping the Bulls in not only roster building, but the standings.
Sitting atop the Central Division in the Eastern Conference might mean very little come next April, but the division is still the teams that play the most in the regular season. That’s why the Cavs should be all smiles with the summer they were having.
CENTRAL DIVISION OFFSEASON POWER RANKINGS
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Adding Donovan Mitchell last summer was an organizational game-changer. This summer has been about adding the pieces to close the gap between division-winning Milwaukee. Mission accomplished.
Not only did the Cavs keep Caris LeVert from bolting in free agency, but added much-needed three-point shooting in Max Strus and Georges Niang.
Isaiah Mobley and Bates will be hard-pressed to find playing time with how deep the Cavs have become, but are nice insurance policies for the future.
While Cleveland doesn’t have a Giannis, it does have the most balanced roster in the Central, and one that can beat the opposition in many different ways.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
It wasn’t about adding for Milwaukee, as much as this summer has been about keeping the core intact.
That the front office did, re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, while adding depth in Malik Beasley and Jae Crowder.
There’s a two-year window on this current core, with Giannis Antetokounmpo holding the player option for the 2025-26 season.
The road to Central supremacy still goes through Milwaukee, but Cleveland has built a tank worthy of a challenge.
3. Indiana Pacers
It became Tyrese Haliburton’s team when the Pacers maxed the point guard this offseason, but they didn’t stop there.
Indiana swept in and nabbed free agent forward Bruce Brown from the champion Nuggets, and then acquired Obi Toppin from the Knicks to bolster the frontcourt.
Jarace Walker was acquired from the Wizards in a lottery draft swap, and while he struggled in Summer League, still has a lot of potential.
Meanwhile, the Pacers still hold a valuable trade chip in shooter Buddy Hield. Stay tuned.
4. BULLS
Keeping the core intact was always the priority this summer, and Karnisovas did just that, inking free agent Nikola Vucevic to a three-year, $60-million deal.
Priority No. 2 was adding three-point shooting, and that was also addressed, with the Bulls nabbing free agents Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig.
Did the Bulls close the gap on Milwaukee and Cleveland? Unlikely. What they seemingly did was make sure to be in better position to win the play-in tournament and become a No. 7 or 8 seeded playoff team. Golf clap.
5. Detroit Pistons
It’s not that Detroit didn’t have a good offseason. No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson flashed in Summer League and showed some serious athletic potential.
But this is all about a collection of young talent – Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Thompson and James Wiseman – all getting through the growing pains and coming together as a cohesive unit.
So while the Pistons are young and talented, they are still a wait-and-see.
