As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the offseason, the 2024 NBA Draft will mark a crucial point for them. After three years of mediocrity with their current core, Arturas Karnisovas finally admitted that the current roster isn’t working. Now, the Bulls should be looking to plan for the future, and that will start with who they are able to select in the upcoming draft.
The emergence of Coby White as a potential star this season was monumental for the Bulls, as they now have a guy they can partially build around moving forward. Ayo Dosunmu falls under that same category, as he also enjoyed a great 2023-24 season. But they cannot do it alone, and the Bulls will need to add some young talent around them if they want to brighten their future.
Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht could be a guy they look to target. Some mock drafts have the 23-year-old being off the board by the time Chicago’s pick comes around, but his shooting and scoring ability make him a very intriguing fit for the Bulls.
The NBA Mock Draft ESPN posted on April 17 has Knecht going to the Houston Rockets at pick nine.
“The Rockets turned the page on their rebuilding process by hiring head coach Ime Udoka and making a splash in free agency last summer, indicating they could look at more ready-made players with this pick considering the plethora of youth already on the roster,” wrote Jonathan Givony. “Shooting will likely be a priority for Houston this summer, and the dynamic perimeter game of the nearly 23-year-old Knecht — who made 40% of his 3s this season — could be attractive with this pick.”
Bleacher Report’s NBA Mock Draft on April 22 has Knecht falling to the Utah Jazz with the eighth pick.
“Despite the loss to Purdue, Dalton Knecht added another special scoring performance to a resume that already shows 30-40-point games against Kentucky, Auburn, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida,” wrote Jonathan Wasserman. “He put up 37 points in the Elite Eight off mostly signature shotmaking that scouts deem translatable, given his size, stroke and general shooting versatility. He seemingly has an ideal skill set for a complementary role at the next level, where he can space the floor, curl off screens and take dribble handoffs into pull-ups or drives.
“Turning 23 years old this month, Knecht will have some skeptics who worry about age for a lottery pick. But most teams won’t be overly picky in 2024. The idea of adding a plug-and-play scorer with a valued core skill and professional approach will look appealing outside the top five.”
In the mock draft posted by No Ceilings on April 9, Knecht goes to the Memphis Grizzlies at seven.
“Despite being burdened with a heavy offensive load and heaps of defensive attention, Knecht managed to knock down 42.4% of his threes during conference play this season,” wrote Maxwell Baumbach. “Chase him off the line, and he may put someone on a poster. Knecht registered 27 dunks this past season. That’s an excellent mark for a wing, but it’s even more impressive when taking into account that he both missed time and played through injury.
“While he may be older, Knecht may also boast more upside than his fellow graduate peers, as he’s a late bloomer who didn’t finish growing until college and just completed his first high-major season. Defensively, Knecht needs to make improvements, but Tennessee wasn’t worse with him on the court on that end.”
This is a weird draft. It’s been heralded as the worst draft in a long time, but Knecht seems like a great player. The question is, should the Bulls want to grab someone a bit younger?
Knecht has a great NBA skill set. With his shooting and ability to score in bunches, he makes a ton of sense for the Bulls in terms of his on-court fit. But if the Bulls want to plan for the future, drafting someone a bit younger could make some sense.
That said, at this point, the Bulls should just want to grab the best player available. If Knecht falls to the Bulls at pick 11, they should definitely seriously consider snagging the Tennessee product.