USC Basketball: Writer Predicts East Franchise Will Draft Isaiah Collier In 2024
Your USC Trojans' most highly-regarded incoming freshman, former Sierra Canyon School guard Isaiah Collier, is expected to be the club's only surefire lottery-level pick in the 2024 NBA draft, assuming he declares after one season.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes things a step further, projecting not just where in the draft Collier will be picked, but also which team will be making said pick at that point in said draft.
Unfortunately for Collier, Wasserman's prediction is the Chicago Bulls, one of the most apathetic and mismanaged teams in the entire league.
Very few NBA franchises have been so horrible at stewarding their futures. The Bulls have mismanaged draft picks, free agent signings, and trades. If Collier's going to have a bright pro career after being drafted by Chicago, it'll probably need to happen after he goes somewhere else.
"Regardless of what doctors say about [starting point guard Lonzo] Ball's recovery for 2024-25, the Bulls figure to be motivated to find an upgrade at point guard," Wasserman writes.
Ball has been unavailable for the Bulls since January 2022, and will miss at least the next season. He's had three surgeries on the same knee, and his entire future is somewhat in jeopardy. But the Bulls, given their aforementioned laziness, have done noting to get off his now-painful $80 million contract. He will, mercifully, be in the last year of that deal come 2024-25. But it's true, Collier could be a major upgrade at a huge position of need. Unfortunately, the rest of the club's roster is comprised of some ill-fitting parts.
"Collier would offer an uncommon mix of physical driving and passing to Chicago's backcourt," Wasserman notes. "He still has something to prove as a shooter, but he did show improvement last season. In the right setting—possibility Chicago's—he could play to his strengths early as a driving force and playmaker. Capable shot-making should be the key to Collier looking like a top-10 pick in this draft, given the likelihood that his strong frame and assist numbers will have scouts buying into his attacking and facilitating translating."
