Could Trayce Jackson-Davis Help The Chicago Bulls?

The Chicago Bulls are likely to be without a draft pick this year, as they still owe Orlando a first-round selection (unless it falls in the Top-4) and will have to forfeit their second-round selection due to tampering.

However, it's never out of the realm of possibility that the Bulls trade into the draft in some capacity, and if they do end up acquiring a second-rounder, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis might be worth a look.

The Bulls need big man depth, especially as Nikola Vučević's unrestricted free agency looms large over the organization. Andre Drummond has a player option which he may, or may not, pick up. If he doesn't, that leaves the Bulls awfully thin up front.

Jackson-Davis would be a decent insurance policy, through the lens of him being low-risk as a later draft selection.

The 23-year-old is obviously on the older side, but that could work to his advantage, as the Bulls are - somewhat inexplicably - trying to win now, as opposed to building for the future. They need rebounding, shot-blocking and athleticism, which Jackson-Davis offers a ton of.

The 6-foot-9 forward/center grabbed 10.8 rebounds this season, swatted 2.9 blocks, and scored his 20.9 points almost exclusively on the interior and from the free throw line. He's about as inside-oriented as humanly possible, and while that won't mesh well with DeMar DeRozan, who operates primarily from 18 foot and in, Jackson-Davis would be able to share the floor with both Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams, both of whom are excellent shooters, who need someone to suck in the defense to provide them with space.

Additionally, Jackson-Davis can pass the ball, and effectively so. He will grab a rebound, turn around, and immediately go on the attack, finding teammates who have leaked out, or even dribble the ball up the court himself. That should mesh well with LaVine, one of the league's most explosive players, as he often gets out ahead in transition.

The Bulls have some history with players that aren't shooters, but who can both pass and defend. That isn't to say Jackson-Davis is in any way close to being Joakim Noah, but some of the traits are similar. Billy Donovan, who coached Noah at Florida, will have experience with players of certain awkward skill-sets, such as Jackson-Davis.

In terms of offense, don't expect Jackson-Davis to set the world on fire. He's a tremendous athlete, and a formidable lob-finisher, but NBA competition simply doesn't guys, who can only score inside with their strong hand, to become huge difference makers. If anything, Jackson-Davis will have to be much more opportunistic and selective with his shot-selection, while the Bulls hope he eventually develops a reliable jump shot.

In recent months, Jackson-Davis has been pulled apart by draft experts, and to some extent rightly so. For all of his strengths, his specific set of weaknesses are severe. Not being able to space the floor as a shooter in today's NBA is - needless to say - problematic. The fact that he only scores with his left hand, and his off-hand being virtually undeveloped at the age of 23, is also a cause for concern. That makes him incredibly easy to plan against, as it makes him predictable.

However, his weaknesses have begun overshadowing the fact that he can come into the league and immediately become an asset near the rim on both sides of the court. Being as athletic as he is comes with the ability to make plays that not everyone can, and the fact that he is so comfortable giving up the ball, and make the right reads, could certainly earn him a role under the right circumstances.

For the Bulls, Jackson-Davis would be an asset when paired with their best shooters. Unlike Vučević and Drummond, Jackson-Davis will push the ball up the floor and initiate the offense, giving the Bulls a whole new layer to the offense, which in recent years has been predicated on guard creation.

Naturally, Jackson-Davis doesn't project as a star, or even a starter, but as a backup big man who can help cover the four and five positions, there could be an intriguing 20-minute NBA player in there somewhere.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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