The Chicago Bulls have come to terms with their second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Daniel Gafford out of Arkansas.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the deal will be worth $6.1 million over four years, with two of those years being fully guaranteed:
Chicago Bulls No. 38 overall selection Daniel Gafford has agreed to a four-year, $6.1M rookie deal, with two guaranteed seasons, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2019
Despite falling to the second round, Gafford was one of the best players in college basketball last year. He was named to the SEC All-Defense and All-Conference First Teams, averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his sophomore season while also shooting 66 percent from the field.
The Bulls already drafted their franchise center of the future when they selected Wendell Carter Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick last summer, but Gafford has tremendous upside as a two-way player.
Like Carter, he is an excellent help defender with good agility and athleticism for someone his size. Although he may not have the kind of mid-range game Carter projects to have eventually, Gafford may in fact be the better traditional post man, and he can also gobble up rebounds on the offensive glass.
On the very first play of Chicago's first Summer League game, Gafford connected with point guard Coby White on an alley-oop, converting on a pretty difficult catch.
Gafford's development could be vital in terms of Chicago's playoff potential. The Bulls lacked depth guys last season, especially in the frontcourt.
Cristiano Felicio simply has not panned out, and Chicago will need a physical presence to replace Robin Lopez. Should Gafford be able to provide quality minutes, he will prove to be yet another bench piece on a Bulls team that should be much more well-rounded this season.
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