NEWSLETTER
Every NBA Draft has its Fred VanVleet, Alex Caruso, Naz Reid, or Caleb Martin. The Chicago Bulls are hoping they can find one later this month.
As things stand, Arturas Karnisovas and Co. will have to prioritize the undrafted free agent market once the 2023 NBA Draft comes to a close. The Bulls organization currently has zero draft picks in the big event set for June 22. They officially lost their pick last month when they missed out on a top 4 pick in the draft lottery and thus handed the Orlando Magic the No. 11 pick as the last piece of compensation in the Nikola Vucevic trade.
Of course, there is always the chance that the organization trades its way back into the first or second round on draft night. Plenty of speculation looms around the direction the organization might choose to go after an underwhelming 40-42 campaign. Not to mention, executives are reportedly anticipating plenty of trade opportunities in the lottery. Still, the far more likely outcome is the Bulls are crossing their fingers that one of their preferred talents falls out of the top 58. And we need to look no further than their pre-draft workouts to see just that.
Hoopshype has put together a running list of the players each team has invited into their building for a pre-draft workout. The site specifies that the information has been gathered via their own intel and other media reports. According to their index, only seven players have worked out with the Bulls thus far.
Three of those seven players have recently chosen to withdraw from the draft and head back to college: Creighton C Ryan Kalkbreener, FAU PG Alijah Martin, and Seattle SG Cameron Tyson. Kalkbreener and Martin appear set to return to their respective schools after each making a run to the Elite Eight last season. As for Tyson, it’s unclear where he’ll play after averaging 18.6 points per game in the WAC.
So this means there are just four players that we know of who worked out for Chicago and remain draft eligible. Let’s briefly review those four players …
Tyree Appleby
A 24-year-old who just finished his sixth collegiate season, Tyree Appleby is surely one of the oldest players in the draft and one of the most notable names on this list. He spent two seasons at Cleveland State before transferring to the University of Florida. After sitting out a season, he averaged 11.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in his two seasons playing in the SEC. Then, ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Appleby left for Wake Forest, where he exploded for 18.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as the team’s starting point guard.
Appleby stands just over six feet tall, which is undoubtedly a concern when we consider his ability to make it at the next level. What he lacks in size, however, he seemingly makes up with speed and dexterity.
I remember watching him in Florida and appreciating the energy and change of pace he could bring at times on the court. This really shined through in Wake Forest this past year, and it’s not all that hard to see why the point-guard-needy Bulls might have some interest in his transition playmaking skills and ball-handling capabilities. Not to mention, he’s a seemingly adequate 3-point shooter and has a knack for getting to the free-throw line (he made 23-25 FTs in a game earlier this season!).
Darius McGhee
Another college veteran, McGhee played five full seasons at Liberty and led the Atlantic Sun Conference in points per game the past two seasons. He started 69 total games over the past two years, averaging 23.7 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent shooting from downtown.
So why is this bucket-getting a candidate to go undrafted? Well, McGhee stands even shorter than Appleby at just five-foot-nine. The Atlantic Suns Conference also isn’t necessarily known for turning out high-level NBA talent. While that isn’t to say a player can’t make it, the competition just isn’t at the level of a power five school.
There is no doubt this dude has a sweet stroke from downtown, so it’s not out of the question he gets an NBA opportunity. But the size is a major concern. He feels more like a name to watch for a Summer League invitation than to sign any kind of two-way deal on draft night.
Justin Powell
Hey, look, not a small guy! Justin Powell is a six-foot-six guard who has played for three different teams during his time in the NCAA. He played only 10 games at Auburn in 2020-21 before appearing in 30 games (all but one off the bench) for a solid Tennessee team. Then, this past year, Powell started 34 games for Washington St. in what was a .500 campaign.
Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know much about the guy. I’m also not going to pretend that his box scores are anywhere near as impressive as the two talked about above. But it’s still not that hard to see why NBA teams might be interested in his services.
Again, Powell offers pretty good positional size and has a pretty killer stroke from long range. He shot 41.9 percent during his college career, converting nearly 43 percent of his attempts this past season with the Cougars. Similarly, while he may not be considered a true facilitator, he’s seemingly taken care of the basketball pretty darn well. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony noted a 3/1 assist-to-turnover ratio for Powell, who also reportedly received positive feedback at the NBA combine.
While the chances of Powell hearing his name called in either of the first two rounds feel slim, I have to imagine his upside as a 3-point threat will earn him plenty of UDFA looks. And, with how desperately we all know the Bulls need shooting, it’s not shocking he appears to be a name they have their eye on.
Justyn Mutts
Justyn Mutts is the only player I’ve seen among this group to crack multiple top 100 big boards. ESPN currently ranks him as the 89th-best player available in this draft and the 17th-best power forward. Meanwhile, NBA Draft dot net has him 74th on their list.
At 24 years old, Mutts is another seasoned prospect. He started his collegiate career at High Point in 2017-18 before sitting out a transfer season to Delaware. After one year of starting 32 games for the Fightin’ Blue Hens, he found himself at a power five school with Virginia Tech.
Mutts went on to play three seasons with the Hokies as a consistent starter. He averaged 11.1 points per game in 91 total appearances with 7.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a rock solid 54.5 field goal percentage.
He pretty easily possesses the most NBA-ready body and frame of the players talked about in this post. While he would technically be considered a bit undersized in the frontcourt at six-foot-seven, he possesses an elite seven-foot-three wingspan. Watching the tape, it appears clear the Mutts have the ability to be a switchable defender with some promising shot-blocking capabilities. Not to mention, there isn’t any hesitation to get physical.
Offensively, Mutts still has to prove he can add an outside shot, but he seemingly isn’t afraid to attack off the dribble or try to back his way into the post. His highlight reel also shows some real upside as a connective passer. During an interview with USA Today, Mutts name-dropped both Jeff Green and Draymond Green as players he’s tried to emulate, and it’s not hard to see just that when watching some of his college film.
