© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls trade into the draft and select Julian Phillips with the 35th pick
The Chicago Bulls got into the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday and selected a raw but athletically gifted forward in 19-year-old Julian Phillips. The Bulls initially did not have any picks in this year's draft, but they traded away a couple of second-round picks, according to NBA insider Shams Charania, to the Washington Wizards to select the Tennessee forward with the 35th pick.
Athleticism is off the charts
Phillips is expected to provide Chicago with a burst of athleticism, especially on the defensive end of the floor. A solid defender with natural lock-down instincts, Phillips had a defensive rating of 91.3 in his one season of NCAA basketball for the Volunteers. He averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game for Tennessee.
As impactful as Phillips may be on defense, his offense leaves a lot to be desired, as he shot just 41 percent from the field on six shots per game. He was also atrocious from beyond the arc, making just 23.9 percent of his shots from that area.
Liked what they saw
The Bulls' vice president Arturas Karnisovas reported after the draft that he and his team liked what they saw from Phillips.
"Our group liked him," Karnisovas said. "He's an ex-McDonald's All-American. Freshman. 19 years old. Multi-positional defender. One of the best athletes in the draft. 43-inch vertical."
The top executive also explained the recent decision by Derrick Jones Jr. to opt out of his contract also played a role in their selection of Phillips.
"He can step in right now and probably can defend on our level. He has a lot of things to obviously improve. We're looking forward to it. He's very young but he's very talented."
