Tag: Julian Phillips

The Chicago Bulls went into the 2023 NBA draft with zero picks, but they decided to make some noise. Rather than sit on the sidelines and watch other teams add young talent, they traded into the 35th pick in a deal with the Washington Wizards and selected Tennessee forward Julian Phillips.

Phillips spent one year in college with the Volunteers after splitting his time in high school between Blythewood in South Carolina and Link Academy in Missouri. In a feature article written by Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, Rodney Perry, Phillips’ former coach at Link, recalled what it was like recruiting Phillips.

Phillips was his final recruit; he is an assistant at Kansas State, and he remembers the 19-year-old fondly, noting that he could do everything on the basketball court.

“He did everything,” Perry told Mayberry. “He did stuff you can’t teach. It’s just natural.”

Link had a great season with Phillips. He teamed with Jordan Walsh, who was drafted 38th by the Boston Celtics, and other top prospects, but they lost in the finals to Montverde Academy, which also had an elite roster.

Perry continued to praise Phillip, highlighting his amazing work ethic.

“He has a routine and a regimen that he sticks with every single day,” Perry said. “No matter what his day looks like he’s going to do the same thing. His work ethic is what separates him. There were plenty of days where we’d have a pretty full day and guys would be worn out. But no matter what, he still went to the gym and got his work in while other guys would go to bed or relax. … So you can expect him to have that military work ethic too.”

Based on Perry’s kind words, the Bulls have landed themselves a great young player.

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Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls didn’t have a pick to work with. Their first-rounder belonged to the Orlando Magic via the Nikola Vucevic trade, and they lost both of the seconds they had, too, one via trade and one because the NBA determined that they tampered when signing Lonzo Ball, forcing them to forfeit the selection.

However, the Bulls made some noise. They traded into the NBA Draft and picked up Tennessee forward Julian Phillips with the 35th pick, which they acquired from the Washington Wizards. Phillips will bring a nice defensive presence to the Bulls’ frontcourt.

That being said, the Draft Digest Staff, who wrote an article on the pick for Sports Illustrated, graded Chicago’s night a B-, noting that Phillips will be a project.

“It took trading into the second-round, but the Bulls ended up finding a way to get a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” they wrote. “With that selection, they landed a defensive-minded prospect in Phillips. He’s more of a project pick, but has a ton of upside if he can develop a more well-rounded game. In his one season at Tennessee, he looked like a first-round talent at times, but others was less than impressive.”

They also spoke about the addition of UConn center Adama Sanogo, who the Bulls signed to a two-way deal after the draft.

“The Bulls also landed Adama Sanogo on a two-way deal as an undrafted free agent, which was a quality pickup,” they wrote. “Considering the fact that Chicago came into Thursday’s draft without a single pick, it was a successful event. Relative to the circumstances, the Bulls’ night deserves a solid grade.”

While the addition of Phillips to the roster will give Chicago a nice infusion of youth, they could have used a win-now piece in the draft. Instead, they will take on another project with a player who’s less-than-stellar from beyond the three-point arc.

Meanwhile, Sanogo is a solid pick-up, but again, he’s not a great three-point shooter, which is Chicago’s biggest need.

Maybe not an ideal night.

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The Chicago Bulls have traded into the 2023 NBA Draft, acquiring the 35th pick from the Washington Wizards and selecting Tennessee forward Julian Phillips, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Chicago gave up future second-rounders in the deal.

Heading into the draft, the Bulls had zero selections, but adding Phillips will give them a nice infusion of youth and help them round out the roster. Chicago’s only forwards on the roster were Patrick Williams and Dalen Terry, but now they will add Phillips to that mix. The 6-foot-7 forward spent one year with the Volunteers and thrives on the defensive end of the court, which should give the Bulls a nice boost on that end of the court.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Phillips’ biggest strengths are his off-ball defense, hustle, feel for the game, and rebounding. O’Connor lists Phillips’ NBA comparison as Gerald Wallace.

Phillips spent one season at Tennessee, appearing in 32 games and playing 24.1 minutes per contest. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 23.9 percent shooting from behind the three-point line.

Drafting Phillips gives the Bulls a nice young prospect to work with moving forward, but he doesn’t address some of their other major needs.

The Bulls filled their need for youth, but more work is needed.

They will still need to add a starting-caliber point guard and three-point shooting to their roster this summer. But for all those hoping for the Bulls to trade into the draft, the calls were answered.