The 2023 NBA draft just wrapped up, and despite not having any picks heading into the night, the Chicago Bulls made some noise. They traded into the second round, nabbing pick No. 35 from the Washington Wizards and selecting Tennessee forward Julian Phillips. Then, after the night was done, they signed undrafted free agent center Adama Sanogo of UConn to a two-way contract.
Now, heading into the league year, the Bulls will shift their focus to competing for the postseason. Arturas Karnisovas stated he has no intentions of rebuilding the roster. While they may not try to rebuild, staying afloat in a packed Eastern Conference could prove a tough feat.
In ESPN’s way-too-early 2024 NBA mock draft, the Bulls land the 10th pick, putting them out of the playoff race. With the selection, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Chicago selecting Duke center Kyle Filipowski.
Filipowski just wrapped up his freshman year with the Blue Devils and is headed back to school for a second season, during which he will attempt to improve his draft stock.
In his first year in college, the seven-foot big man appeared in 36 games (starting all of them), averaging 29.1 minutes per contest. He averaged 15.1 points, 9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game on 44.1% shooting from the field and 28.2% from behind the 3-point line.
If, by this time next year, the Bulls decide they are ready for a rebuild, it’s safe to assume that Nikola Vucevic would not be a part of those plans. In that case, Filipowski could slot in as the Bulls’ starting center on a young, rebuilding roster.
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