NBA Draft Matchmaker: Chicago Bulls

Which prospect make the most sense for the Bulls to end up with at June's NBA Draft?

Apr 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) gestures after making a three point basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls hold No. 11 in this year's NBA Draft, and playing matchmaker for them is fairly straightforward, given that the team is in no position to, well, think about positions.

As a team that's starving for talent — a storyline that flies too low under the radar — Chicago has to figure out how they secure the best possible remaining player left on the board when they pick.

If they'd been a bit higher up, I would have mentioned both Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland as obvious candidates. But since I'm skeptical of their availability at that slot, I have to move onto someone else.

And this is where things get not so straightforward.

It appears that a type of consensus is building when it comes to the top 10 in this year's draft.

In no order, it seems Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, Nikola Topić, Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Cody Williams and the aforementioned Ignite duo of Holland and Buzelis in some variation round out the Top 10.

If so, that's a tough blow for the Bulls, who'd then have to get creative at No. 11.

However, we so often see someone previously cemented as a Top 10 pick fall out of that range, and as such, I'm going to match the Bulls with Dillingham, the explosive guard scorer out of Kentucky.

Yes, the Bulls already have a small army of guards.

Yes, it seems Lonzo Ball is indeed coming back next season. 

No, none of that matters.

Dillingham is a wicked scorer, a supremely efficient shooter (44.4% from range), and while undersized, he's simply too productive to pass up on. 

With the Bulls also finding themselves in a tricky extension situation with both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, securing a guard spot for the long-term also might not be the worst idea, particularly as the team is trying to unload Zach LaVine, and Ball is entering the final year of his contract. 

Dillingham's release is extremely quick, and he should easily be ready for a significant offensive burden right now. He seems tailored for the quick-trigger level the NBA has become, and the Bulls have sorely needed a guard who consistently can create their own offense, especially in terms of generating jump shots. 

Is there a roster crunch that needs taken care of? Absolutely. But in the end, it doesn't matter. The Bulls are in no position to be picky, or think conservatively. If there's a middling team out there that needs to swing for the fences, it's them. And Dillingham, who could be available by then, would constitute just that. 

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.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.