The Chicago Bulls are being tied to a big-time player in the 2024 NBA Draft
The wheels just keep spinning in place for the Chicago Bulls after another season of reaching the play-in stage of the playoffs and not advancing any further.
As we sit here a few weeks from the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bulls plans are unclear with them holding the No. 11 overall pick. They are likely going to re-sign DeMar DeRozan and pair him with Coby White and Nikola Vucevic while trying to trade Zach LaVine. It’s hard to improve with the No. 11 overall pick and getting over that hump.
But one NBA insider believes the Chicago Bulls could be ready to make a big move for a top prospect in this draft.
In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony named the Bulls as a team that could go up and trade for UConn star Donovan Clingan. Here is what Givony wrote on Clingan and the potential for the Bulls to make a move:
“There’s chatter around the league that teams such as Portland, Memphis and Chicago might look to move up to draft Clingan earlier than this, but in this mock scenario, he falls right into the Trail Blazers’ lap. Clingan brings size, length, defensive prowess, nonstop intensity and passing ability along with a back-to-back national championship pedigree. He has plenty of room for growth alongside the Blazers’ core at just 20 years old.”
Clingan is considered a top 5 and to some, a top 3 prospect in this draft. The center was among the best in college basketball last season helping lead the Huskies to another national championship. At 7-foot-2, he would give the Chicago Bulls a legit presence in the paint and some protection at the rim. That could allow them to pair him with Vucevic for a big lineup at times.
Does it make sense for the Chicago Bulls to pursue Donovan Clingan?
The Chicago Bulls don’t really have a lot of valuable assets in the future, putting a hamstring on what they can do to improve the roster moving forward. So one would think when you have the chance to potentially go up and take a top player, you might be more inclined to doing so.
One of the biggest needs for the Bulls will be a legit big man whether it be now or in the future. Going up and getting Clingan would provide a long-term solution at center when they eventually move on from Vucevic. He can also provide some much-needed rim protection for this roster, which the Bulls believe they can compete with.
Here is a scouting report on Clingan and what he can provide from Hoops Hype:
“I watched Clingan the other day before a game, and he got his shots up and made a fair share of them, but it looks like he’s been instructed not to take that shot,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “Coach Hurley and UConn have been successful with that formula. They have a lot of talented perimeter players to take those shots versus Clingan. They let him do what he does best, which is set screens and roll to the basket, and do all his damage at the rim, and get offensive rebounds and take advantage of his massive size. You can’t argue with success.”
“Could Clingan become a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas?” another NBA scout pondered. “He makes jumpers in practice, and I think he can shoot more than he’s shown.”
At this point, it feels like the Chicago Bulls need to take some sort of risk. If they decide Clingan can be a game-changing asset for the franchise moving forward, then it might be time to take that risk.
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