Chicago Bulls: 3 picks from the 2010s we wish would’ve worked out

Chicago Bulls draft picks we wish had worked out: 3. Denzel Valentine

The Chicago Bulls selected Denzel Valentine with the 14th overall pick of the 2016 draft.

Coming into the draft, scouts were extremely high on Valentine. He was a four-year veteran at Michigan State University and under the watchful eye of head coach Tom Izzo, Valentine became one of the best players in all of college basketball.

In his senior season, he was named the AP Player of the Year.

Some of the most talked about parts of his game coming into the league were his court vision, basketball IQ, and passing ability.

According to Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz from Draft Express, “Valentine was Michigan State’s point guard this season for all intents and purposes, and his best attributes revolve around his prodigious court vision and passing ability, which are incredibly unique at his size. Valentine may have the highest basketball IQ of any player in this draft, as his timing and instincts as a playmaker are simply off the charts”.

If Valentine could have been an elite point forward for the Bulls, it would have made a world of difference for the team and could have facilitated the growth of the young lottery picks on the roster.

However, Valentine has only averaged 2.0 assists per game throughout his career and has spent most of his career as a bench player on the Bulls.

If he could have reached the expectations that were set for him coming into the league, he and LaVine would have been a very complimentary duo for the Bulls.

However, this is yet another pick that did not quite work out for the Chicago Bulls.