After three transactional cycles of no moves from the Chicago Bulls, many fans were growing anxious over the front office’s stubborn decision to stand pat. Fortunately, that all changed at the 2023 NBA Draft, where the Bulls traded into the second round to select Julian Phillips at No. 35 overall. Not only was this a solid pick on paper, but it may also have just given us some insight regarding the franchise’s plans this summer.
Trading away a pair of future second-round picks, it’s clear to see the Bulls had their eyes on Phillips for some time. While I believe it was a worthwhile gamble either way, I’m not convinced a recent decision made by a current Bull wasn’t the determining factor here.