Mo Bamba could see himself playing alongside Lauri Markkanen

Mo Bamba says that he could see himself playing alongside Lauri Markkanen, hinting that he might want to play for the Chicago Bulls.

With the 2018 NBA Draft approaching next month, former University of Texas center Mo Bamba is most certainly projected to be a top-10 pick. One of those teams that have a chance at selecting Bamba is the Chicago Bulls, who would greatly benefit from his presence in the team's frontcourt with rising star forward Lauri Markkanen.

Bamba himself is even a fan of this potential pairing with Markkanen, whose draft rights were traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 7 pick in last year's draft as well as guards Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn to the Bulls for star shooting guard Jimmy Butler and the rights to rookie center Justin Patton.

“I could really see myself with them,” Bamba said, per a tweet from Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. “Lauri, he's a really good 3-point shooter. He stretches the floor, which gives me a lot of room to operate in the mid-post and low-post area. Obviously, I have to do my diligence to get stronger and better in those areas.”

Bamba also told McGraw that he believed that his biggest strength as a basketball player is his presence on the court.

“I'd say my biggest strength right now, just one word to summarize it all, is just my presence,” Bamba said. “Both offensively and defensively, the presence that I have is pretty profound.”

Will Bamba fall to the Bulls at No. 7 in the 2018 NBA Draft? Some have the seven-footer being selected in the top five.

During his lone season at Texas, the 20-year-old averaged 12.9 points on 54.1 percent shooting from the field, 10.5 rebounds, and a whopping 3.7 blocked shots per game in roughly 30.2 minutes of action per contest.