Several Mock Drafts Have Chicago Selecting 19-Year-Old Phenom
After Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery decided the order of the 2024 NBA Draft, the first wave of mock drafts has gone live. The Chicago Bulls will select 11th in the upcoming draft, outside the top ten for the fourth consecutive year despite only one playoff victory over that span. Bleacher Report, Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, and other sports news outlets have released how they think the NBA Draft will unfold before the NBA Combine or any draft interviews have taken place, and many of them have the same name circled for the Windy City. Who does the mass media market see as the best fit in Chicago, and how realistic is it that his name is called on June 26th?
Introducing Cody Williams
This year could be this regime’s last crack at the NBA Draft. If this season does not result in at least a playoff appearance, it would mark three consecutive seasons and six out of seven seasons without making the postseason. This front-office group has also never won a playoff series with Chicago, another hurdle they’ll need to surpass to remain at the organization’s helm. Much like a year ago when the Bulls traded into the second round to draft a 19-year-old Julian Phillips from the University of Tennesee, this draft may see a similar result via drafting Cody Williams.
Cody is a more raw and elongated version of his older brother, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams. When initially declaring for the NBA draft, many had him slated as a top-five pick, but lacking polished skills at this stage of his game, he’s going to take some development to become the phenom that his brother has become early in his career.
Williams stands 6′ 8″ tall, weighs 190 pounds, and is only 19 years old. Last season for the Buffaloes, he averaged nearly 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists per contest. He also shot over 55% from the field and 41.5% from three-point range. His defensive versatility will immediately transfer to the professional stage, and his downhill offensive skills will make him a dangerous transition threat for a fast-paced NBA style of play. If he can polish his shooting abilities and gain stability on the offensive side, he’s primed to become a top two-way player like his brother.
Ranking The Fit In Chicago
This selection would likely indicate Patrick Williams’s departure. A restricted free agent this summer, Williams never blossomed into the two-way star the Bulls had hoped they drafted fourth overall in 2020. Drafting a 19-year-old forward and resigning DeMar DeRozan leaves the former Seminole out of the rotation or reduced to a bench role. Chicago’s desire to compete in the near future will lead to a draft pick that contributes to winning immediately.
His ability to guard five positions and play offensively on and off the ball will earn minutes quickly. Length and speed have become a premium in the evolving NBA style of play, and he’s the perfect prototype for both of those. Zach LaVine will likely be gone, and a true point guard will enter the equation. While Williams will likely come off the bench to begin the season, if the year turns into a developmental campaign, the reigns could be passed to the duo of him and Coby White after his emergence a season ago.
Is Cody Williams going to fall to 11, and if he does, do you endorse him in Chicago? Is this Karnisovas’s last chance at the NBA Draft?