A Week From Draft Night, Devin Carter Thoughts, Here Come the Rumors, and Other Bulls Bullets

We are exactly one week away from the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s briefly recap what we know …

(1) The Chicago Bulls are possibly interested in trading up.
(2) AK may have made a draft night promise.
(3) The front office could reach for Zach Edey.
(4) They may prioritize win-now talent.
(5) AKA – we know absolutely nothing and I’m terrified they’ll screw everything up!

  • For what it’s worth, the confusion surrounding what will happen next week isn’t only tied to the Chicago Bulls. Thanks to the lackluster nature of this draft class, we still have zero idea who will end up going No. 1 overall to the Atlanta Hawks. Heck, how do we know the Hawks may not even try to move out of that spot? All we really do know is that this could be one of the most unpredictable drafts in a handful of years, which might as well only increase the odds that the Bulls screw it up. I’ve been adamant that staying put at No. 11 is likely the best path forward. Someone who has largely been viewed as a top 10 prospect is likely to fall into their laps at No. 11, which could make their decision a lot easier!
  • Out of all the rumors we’ve heard, the draft night promise is probably my least favorite. As much as I don’t want them to waste more assets to move up, this would at least be the kind of aggressive decision the front office has dodged the past few years. Not to mention, there might be ways for the Chicago Bulls to do that by primarily using players as opposed to future picks. Making a draft night promise, however, rarely makes any sense at all. If you’re sitting at No. 2 or No. 3 on the draft board – fine. But No. 11 leaves so much room for chaos to ensue! The Bulls need to put themselves in a position to take advantage of that chaos … not tie their hand behind their back.
  • None of that is to say I still don’t like Devin Carter, by the way. Both ESPN and SBNation have him currently going to the Chicago Bulls in the lottery, and I understand the appeal. While he’s a bit undersized, Carter’s skillset mimics that of many reliable, winning role players. His rebounding mimics someone like Josh Hart (8.7 per game in college despite standing six-foot-three). His ability to embrace physicality gives off Bruce Brown vibes. His defensive versatility and hustle have been compared to Derrick White. Oh, and he is fresh off shooting 37.7 percent from downtown on nearly 6.8 attempts per game! So, yeah, there is a lot to like. But the Bulls are also in desperate need of high-upside young talent. Could Carter be the right pick? Sure. However, younger and arguably higher-upside talents like Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham, or Nikola Topic could fall into the Bulls’ lap. They have to be ready for that.
  • Devin Carter, who some speculate may have a draft night promise from the Chicago Bulls
    © Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

  • While we’re on the topic of rumors, I want to make sure you didn’t miss two big stories from Tuesday afternoon. Not only was Zach LaVine connected to the Sacramento Kings, but the Chicago Bulls were (shockingly )named by one source as a suitor for Clint Capela. Would Arutras Karnisovas really give up assets to go from one veteran center to another?
  • The Central Division was busy this morning. The Detroit Pistons fired Monty Williams despite the head coach finishing just one year of his six-year, $78.5 million contract. On the one hand, I respect the Pistons ownership for just eating the money and doing what they believe is best for the organization. On the other hand, LOLOLOLOL WOW!
  • The second big piece of news came out of Indianapolis. While no contracts will be confirmed until July 6, reports surfaced that Pascal Siakam has agreed to a max extension with the Pacers. The Chicago Bulls now have another young team with a bright future to worry about in the Eastern Conference.
  • Fun stat here by Drew, who points out that DeMar DeRozan is just one of six players in NBA history to average 24 points and 5 assists at the age of 34.
  • Let’s also not forget that DeRozan is one of only 26 players in NBA history to average at least 37.0 minutes per game at the age of 34 (minimum 60 games played). If we also include the fact that he played 79 games this season, then he’s one of only 17 players to ever appear in that many contests while averaging at least 37.0 minutes per game at his age. The last time we saw it done was 2002-03 by Gary Payton, per Stathead.
  • Let’s get those contracts done!
  • Tab is a madman.
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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