Envisioning Draft Night, the First Big Player Decision, Power Rankings, Smokescreens, and Other Bulls Bullets

I have never gone on a blind date, but I am just going to assume that the experience is similar to waiting for the 2020 NBA Draft.

My hands are clammy, my armpits are damp, my heart is racing, and my hopes are high. (Michael: My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, there’s vomit on my sweater already, mom’s spaghetti.)

I’m obviously willing to welcome this person into my life and try to make it work – otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. However, the element of the unknown looms large. Should I show up earlier (trade up)? Should I arrive fashionably late (trade down)? Will they vibe with my friends (teammates)? What about my family (front office)? How long do I give it if it doesn’t work out? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I guess all I can do is wait and see. The fact of the matter is, no one is going into this with poor intentions. The goal is to find a perfect match. Here’s to love *throws back a shot and walks out the door.*

•   Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija, Killian Hayes, Tyrese Haliburton, Patrick Williams, Isaac Okoro, and the list could grow. The Chicago Bulls have been connected to a number of different prospects ahead of draft night; let alone a number of different scenarios. On Wednesday morning, we learned Chicago is considered one of the most active teams on the trade market. Whether that revolves around already rostered talent or their No. 4 pick is up for debate … but does it matter? The fact is, there is a substantial amount of buzz surrounding the Bulls right now – arguably more than there has been in years. The new front office has been harder to read than Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, and it’s already made for one hell of entertaining first offseason under new management.

•   The unknown makes it easy to withhold criticism. When Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley draft a player on November 18th, they will make the first big roster decision of the new era. No matter what anyone says, knowing that must weigh heavily on their minds. More than any other time in their careers, Karnisovas and Eversley probably feel like they need to hit a home run (#OtherSportReference). The good news is there might be several ways to do that at No. 4. The team has the pick of the litter among the second tier talents. They could also get lucky and have a projected top-3 prospect fall into their laps (who they can then select or potentially trade). Plenty of opportunities could become available, and that’s why it’s super important that this front office is confident in their draft board.

•   If anyone knows a secret agent that I can pay to break into Karnisovas’ laptop and send me the Bulls big board, that’d be great. I’m dying to know who is at the top of their list, and I wonder if it looks anything like Darnell Mayberry’s rankings over at The Athletic. I could see the two being rather similar, except I would possibly replace Hayes (who Mayberry has at No. 3) with Haliburton (who the Bulls have reportedly worked out).

•   ICYMI: A report surfaced the other day that Chicago could look to move Wendell Carter Jr. as opposed to Lauri Markkanen. I think it’s fair to question how accurate this news is, though, and the thread below offers some good reasons why:

•   Brain Keefe is quite the experienced assistant … could he also find his way onto Billy Donovan’s staff?

•   Don’t think for a second I’ve given up hope on my boy Deni.

•   Denzel spreading the love.

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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