The Chicago Bulls pulled off a mild shocker during last week’s draft by trading into the second round to select Tennessee Vols freshman Julian Phillips with the 35th pick.
Heading into the night, Chicago did not hold any draft selections - they traded the rights to (what would have been) #11 to Orlando in the Nik Vucevic deal a couple of years ago, another second-round pick (#42) to the Wizards (ironically traded w/ Washington for #35) and forfeited their final second-rounder due to tampering from the Lonzo Ball signing.
So, it’s no surprise the fan base (including myself) was a bit shocked to see them make an actual selection.
Phillips (19), one of the youngest players in the draft, is an impressive, 6'8 forward with great athleticism (43-inch. vertical, highest in his class), strong defense, and an emerging perimeter game. Bulls VP of Operations Arturas Karnisovas lauded his ability to play “NBA-level defense” from the jump.
The faster Phillips can get up to speed, the better off it is for Chicago - the Bulls desperately need a boost at both forward spots heading into 2023-24.
Phillips & Dalen Terry (last year’s first-rounder) are CHI’s top prospects heading into next season.