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Chicago Bulls: 2017 NBA Draft grades

By James D. Tillman III

Apr 2, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Lauri Markkanen (Arizona) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number seven overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Lauri Markkanen (Arizona) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number seven overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 7 — Lauri Markkanen

Coming into the draft, one of the needs the Bulls needed to address was long-distance shooting.

Why, you ask?

Well, they dealt away their best three-point shooter in Doug McDermott prior to the February trade deadline. Secondly, the team finished 24th in this category in 2016-17.

Having said that, adding a shot maker to the mix was of high importance for the Bulls. As part of the Butler trade, the Bulls acquired the No. 7 pick — Lauri Markkanen from the University of Arizona.

Markkanen averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per outing in his lone season with the Wildcats. Additionally, he knocked down 42 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, making him one of the top shooters in the draft.

The other side of this story is Markkanen has a lot of shortcomings from a defensive standpoint. Despite standing at 7’0″, he averaged just 0.5 blocks per contest and has a difficult time holding his position when trying to box out opposing players.

Even if Markkanen does improve that part of his game, this is a bad deal for the Bulls.

Final Grade: C

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