An Unpredictable Draft Day, Mitchell Robinson, Wizards Open for Business? And Other Bulls Bullets

Arturas Karnisovas woke up at dawn with Sirius by The Alan Parsons Project blasting in his home.

As he weightlessly rose from his bed, already wearing the cleanest suit this side of the Mississippi, he began to walk to the kitchen. He cracked four raw eggs into a blender with a box of nails. After blending for approximately 20 seconds, he chugged it. Not a wince.

Karnisovas then did 18 reps of 18 pull-ups while Benny the Bull provided blow after blow to his torso. Once finished, the front-office leader grabbed his Space Jam lunchbox and walked toward the door. Before embracing the rat race, he elegantly slid on his shades and turned to the camera: “It’s Draft Day, [expletive]”

Well, at least that’s how I like to imagine it went down.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1539980057762058241?s=20&t=dX9U1yqJtOGNhjGgFc4HHw

  • The more likely scenario is the Chicago Bulls front office is … well … stressed. I imagine the hours leading up to draft night are somewhat similar to when Spongebob couldn’t remember his name. We got a look inside his brain where a bunch of tiny Spongebobs are scouring through file cabinets and computer documents to find the answer. By the end of it, things turn into a giant fiery mess where everyone is running in circles out of sheer panic. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here.
  • I’m sure front offices like to pretend they know how things will play out tonight, but I guarantee you they don’t. Organizations have been playing a game of cat and mouse for weeks when it comes to who they are interested in and what trades they might be open to. But everything will become clear tonight, which means everything could change at a moment’s notice.
  • I truly do believe the Bulls are still open to almost all options. I could see a world where they trade up, trade down, or trade out of the draft completely. And this is the mindset they should have considering their position in the draft and their need to add impact talent this offseason. With that said, we should still walk into tonight with the expectation that they select a player No. 18-overall. Not only is it the easiest decision, but it’s arguably the one that still makes the most sense for the direction of the franchise. If they can get a rotation player on a rookie contract, that could be extremely helpful for building out the rest of the roster. Not to mention, youth is still something every front office has to think about.
  • Although, if the rumors are true, there is certainly a world where the Bulls get rid of one of their youngest assets tonight. The reports about moving Coby White have yet to settle down, but how much value does he really hold around the league right now?
  • The Chicago Bulls are going to add to the center position this offseason. Whether that’s in the form of a new starter or a rim-protecting backup has yet to be seen, but I do think it’s becoming increasingly clear that Mitchell Robinson may no longer be an option. The Bulls have been connected to the New York Knicks big man since the trade deadline, and recent reports have suggested New York wants to keep him in town. More specifically, Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo has reported the Knicks could plan to keep Mitchell while also drafting one of the better center prospects in this draft:
  • Also: in yesterday’s column, I noted that it felt more likely the Knicks would re-sign Mitchell Robinson than select a big. Based on what I’ve heard since then, I’m going to slightly change my stance on that: I actually think it’s possible New York could keep Robinson and still draft a center anyway, in the interest of creating depth at the position moving forward. Whether or not that’s actually a good idea is entirely fair to ask, but I wouldn’t rule out Jalen Duren if he’s here on the board at No. 11.

  • In other interesting offseason news, Bleacher Reports’ Jake Fischer has reported that the Washington Wizards could be open to trading both Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. I have no idea what the asking price is on either player (I’m assuming Kuzma’s is higher), but I would quickly pick up the phone to ask if I were Karnisovas. Both seem to fit the bill of what this front office wants at the wing, and there is no question both also offer the kind of veteran playoff experience this roster needs to add. Kuzma is owed $13 million this season and Caldwell-Pope is set to make $14 million. Both are in the final year of their contract.
  • Listen to Javonte:
  • In case you want to study up before tonight, I’m going to link all of our draft profiles below:
  • Get caught up:
  • Hey, something positive!
  • 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.

    more bulls news

    What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

    Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

    Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

    Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

    WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

    The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

    Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

    I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

    Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

    Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

    WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

    Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

    Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

    Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

    Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

    Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

    Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

    It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

    WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

    As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

    Latest News

    Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

    Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

    Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers are moneyline favorites (-110) to begin their season with a road win over the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta takes the mound for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New...

    Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will look to Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

    Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

    Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) begin their 2024 season with a road matchup against the New York Mets (0-0) on Friday, with first pitch at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will give the nod to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose...

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

    more bulls news