NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls may have just signed one of the best-undrafted players on the board.
Marquette’s Justin Lewis has reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with the franchise, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The six-foot-seven forward averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Golden Eagles last season.
Lewis was viewed by many to be worthy of a mid-second-round pick. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic listed the 20-year-old as the No. 44 prospect on his board, while Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman put him at No. 42. As for ESPN, they put him 43rd-overall on their big board and currently list him as the best available undrafted player.
While Lewis provides similarly intriguing length to first-round pick Dalen Terry, he’s a far bulkier player who would help man the frontcourt at the next level. He’s also someone who held a far more active scoring role in college, flashing an ability to create some of his own offense off the dribble with a bully-ball mentality.
Lewis projects to be a pretty switchable defender, and his frame should consistently allow him to play bigger than he is. A quick watch of his film also shows that he may not be the quickest player, but he does possess some explosiveness around the rim.
I’m also pretty encouraged by his overall shooting numbers. His jumper can be a bit wonky at times, and he seems like someone who might settle for some bold shots, but he did shoot 34.9 percent from behind the arc on 5.2 attempts per game in his sophomore season. He’s also a decent 76.1 percent free-throw shooter.
Considering how highly he was ranked heading into draft night, I have to imagine he had plenty of interest in the undrafted free-agent market, so the fact the Bulls inked him to a two-way deal feels like a win.
The question now is whose spot will he take on the roster heading into next season? The Bulls had both Malcolm Hill and Tyler Cook on two-way deals during the 2021-22 campaign, so are both out of the picture, or will the Bulls try to keep one in the mix?
Anyway, here’s a bunch of highlights to get you hyped about the two-way talent:
