NEWSLETTER
The NBA Draft is now three days away, and we couldn’t be more uncertain about the Bulls fate.
With an obvious hole at point guard, addressing that position with the No. 7 overall pick would almost certainly be in the team’s best interest. However, the No. 2 (Darius Garland) and No. 3 (Coby White)-ranked point guards in this draft class could be gone by the time the Bulls are on the clock – and that’s an obvious problem. Or, at least it was. Things could already be changing dramatically on that front – especially with respect to Garland – and it could wind up impacting the Bulls directly.
As you’ll recall, the Vanderbilt product had been rumored to have strong interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, who previously held the No. 4 overall pick before trading it to the Pelicans as part of a larger package for Anthony Davis this past weekend. And considering that the Pelicans, who already have respected guard Jrue Holiday on the roster, received Lonzo Ball in that deal, it’s unlikely that they’ll be interested in taking a point guard either.
So … BOOM, let the Bulls rumors commence!
Add the Chicago Bulls to the list of teams that have been to LA to watch Darius Garland work out, a source says. That makes five teams drafting in the 3-7 range. Makes sense for Garland to cast a fairly wide net considering he's coming off surgery and was barely seen in college. https://t.co/0anc09FKrH
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 16, 2019
Before visiting Garland, the Bulls had brought in only two No. 7-caliber players for workouts this offseason – Jarrett Culver and Sekou Doumbouya, neither of which are point guards. And given all the drama and rumors surrounding the No. 4 pick – that’s quite telling.
The Bulls have reportedly been pegged as one of the teams most interested in acquiring that No. 4 pick. And if that is indeed the case, it would make the most sense for them to draft Garland when they go on the clock (and, of course, that’s not the only way they could end up with him).
But before we get to that parenthetical, let’s quickly go over what makes Garland such an intriguing asset. As a smaller guard that lacks significant muscle, but is otherwise crafty and a gifted scorer, Garland has drawn comparisons to Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker. In addition, he’s been praised for his court vision, and is known for his mature understanding of the game for a 19-year-old. People look at Garland as having massive upside, even though he’s coming off a season-ending surgery to repair his left meniscus. Put simply: many people believe he is the fourth-best talent in this top-heavy draft.
But be that as it may, circumstances have changed and he might actually begin to fall down draft boards. Instead of trading up to get him, the Bulls could also choose to be patient to see if he drops to them at No. 7. Given everything that’s happened over the past few days, it’s not difficult to imagine such a scenario:
A first glance, you might question why a point-guard needy team like the Suns wouldn’t scoop up Garland at No. 6, before the Bulls ever got a chance to grab him, but you’d have to ask them. According to some recent reports, the Suns have become distant from the idea of taking Garland and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony points out the Suns have not worked out Garland and are beginning to favor White.
Correcting my reporting here. Phoenix has not watched Darius Garland work out, nor have they done much work on him, a source says. They are much more into Coby White it appears. Garland is most likely to go 5th or 7th it seems, barring more trades. Article has been updated. https://t.co/0anc09FKrH
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 16, 2019
Now, Garland has been linked to the Cavs, as well. However, the team took guard Collin Sexton No. 8 overall last season and has an abundance of other needs to fill on their roster, so taking another point guard may not make the most sense for them right now.
The Bulls coming into the conversation for Garland shows just how crazy things could get before Thursday night. No doubt, Chicago has a lot of options to consider, and how aggressive (or non-aggressive) they want to be with Garland is just one of many things for them to be thinking about.
Michael Cerami contributed to this post.
