The Chicago Bulls have the No. 22 pick in the NBA Draft, and there has been a lot of clutter to sort through as to their plans with the pick. Here are three rumors you need to know:
1) Notre Dame PG Jerian Grant A Top Draft Option At #22?
The Chicago Bulls are reportedly on the lookout for youthful insurance at the point guard position in the 2015 NBA Draft, and one name that keeps popping up is Notre Dame standout Jerian Grant.
Yes, they still have Derrick Rose and he’s not going anywhere, but they want a young backup at that position because Rose was limited in 2014-’15 and is only under contract for two more years. Preferably, they want a point guard with size. If you look at Chicago’s backups over the last few years, they’ve provided scoring punch but have hurt the team defensively, be it Nate Robins, D.J. Augustin or Aaron Brooks. They were all fun to watch in the regular season, but come playoff time they were all picked on by the opposing teams and their weaknesses were exposed.
Fortunately for the Bulls, this year’s draft has an influx of point guards who should be available between picks 15-25, and some of them have the size the Bulls will be looking for. Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant is a 6-foot-5 fearless guard who has excelled at the end of games by taking big shots and who also plays capable defense. The Bulls like that Grant’s also a four-year college player who has NBA bloodlines, with his father, Harvey, and uncle, Horace, playing in the league.
2) Terry Rozier A Backup Option
If Grant is off the board, the Bulls are interested in Louisville guard Terry Rozier as a backup to Derrick Rose. NBAdraft.net agrees, citing Rozier’s explosiveness:
Terry Rozier is a promising young prospect with a great deal of upside … He’s a very good outside shooter, ball handler, and has terrific athletic ability. He puts for effort on the defensive end and is a productive ball thief. He must improve his shot selection, and ability to finish at the rim. Although a bit of a combo, he takes good care of the ball, and 2014-15 will most likely present him with a great opportunity to play a much larger role, show his development at the point guard position, and very possibly vault his draft position.
3) Is Chicago Considering R.J. Hunter?
The Bulls could be in the market for outside shooting with Mike Dunleavy entering free agency this offseason, and they may fill that void by drafting Georgia State shooting guard R.J. Hunter.
However, Bleacher Report’s Jaime Oppenheim isn’t so sure he’ll be off the board when the Bulls hit the clock, perhaps giving Chicago a crack at the small-school sharpshooter if they want him:
…it’s not a lock Hunter is off the board, with a handful of wings jockeying for position late in the first round.
He made 253 three-pointers in three collegiate seasons, and while his percentages were lower than you’d like, his ability to get to the free-throw line made him an efficient scorer.
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