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Where do the Chicago Bulls stand after the 2023 NBA Draft?
Chicago ended its 2022-23 campaign with a record of 40-42, putting it in third place in the Central Division and tenth place in the Eastern Conference. They won a matchup against the Toronto Raptors in the Play-In tournament but fell to the Miami Heat in the eighth-seed game.
The Bulls will have nine players who at least have the option to return to Chicago for the 2023-24 season, according to sports contract and salaries website Spotrac. Guard Zach LaVine, forward DeMar DeRozan, forward Patrick Williams and guard Alex Caruso highlight the players who could return for Chicago next season. Center Andre Drummond has a player option with a deadline of June 29.
The Bulls entered Thursday's draft without a selection of their own. Even with players like LaVine under contract for the Bulls next season, Chicago still entered the draft with a need for 3-point shooting after they finished last season with a 36.1% average from beyond the arc. Their 38.9% of their shots from 20-24 feet put them at eighth in the NBA, but their 34.6% from 25-29 feet put them on par with the Atlanta Hawks and at 18th place in the league, according to NBA.com.
What was the best decision the Bulls made in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Trading into the draft
Chicago will have four unrestricted free agents, four restricted free agents and one player with a player option heading into the 2023 free agency period. Center Nikola Vucevic, forward Derrick Jones Jr., guard Javonte Green and guard Patrick Beverley make up the unrestricted free agents for Chicago.
Jones Jr. declined his player option last week. The 6-foot-5-inch forward agreed to a two-year, $6.6 million contract in 2022 following a season that saw him play in 51 games and start in eight, averaging 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.
Chicago ended its last few drafts with Williams, Arizona guard Dalen Terry, Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Marko Simonovic. Terry saw limited time for the Bulls last season. The 6-foot-7-inch guard still played in 38 games, including a 12-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in February that saw him score 13 points, grab seven rebounds and dish seven assists at the United Center.
Dosunmu has played in 157 games and started in 91 since he was selected with the 38th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Chicago-born guard started in 51 games for the Bulls last season. He will be a restricted free agent in the 2023 offseason.
Adding another player through the draft could at least give Chicago another option heading into free agency.
Phillips, a former 5-star recruit from Blythewood, S.C., can be a hard-working option for the Bulls if he can make the roster, a point Kansas State assistant coach Rodney Perry highlighted in a Saturday article from The Athletic.
“He has a routine and a regimen that he sticks with every single day,” Perry said, via The Athletic. “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.”
Phillips took pride in his willingness to work to be the most well-rounded player he can be in a Wednesday article from The State.
“My biggest thing and concentration is getting to be as well-rounded as I can,” Phillips said, via The State. “I am going to be an everyday guy, someone who shows up, works hard and gets the job done, does all the right things, makes the winning plays. Defensively, I am going to be a guy who guards multiple positions and just brings a lot of versatility to the team. I am very excited to do that.”
