Bulls Could Weaponize Cap Space For Draft Picks This Summer | Consensus Draft Picks For The Bulls

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Coming into this offseason, we knew that the Chicago Bulls had a lot of tools at their disposal. Three draft picks in the top 38, which is great roster flexibility and cap space. And while a lot of the talk around the cap space has been about how the Chicago Bulls can use it to acquire free agents, one of the other ways that they can use that cap space isn't just going out and signing players to that money. It's taking on bad money, absorbing bad contracts from teams that need relief, and making them pay you in draft capital to get that done. This is something that rebuilding teams have done for years and it's something that the Bulls under the last regime really leaned in didn't lean into when they should have done it a little bit more. So today we're going to talk about the possible salary dump candidates around the NBA and if they make sense for the Chicago Bulls even though it's not necessarily my favorite route that the Bulls could go. We're talk about all that. Plus we're going to talk about the consensus mock drafts and the players most commonly mocked go to the Chicago Bulls at 4:15 and 38. We're going to talk about all that and more right after this.

[00:01:25]What's going on, Bulls? Bulls fans.

[00:01:26]Welcome to another episode of Chicago Bulls Central, your number one spot for everything Chicago Bulls related. I'm the host Hayes, but more importantly, you guys can follow the channel at Bull Central Pod on every social media platform we happen to be on. With that said, also make sure you guys hit that subscribe button. Trying to get to 50,000 subscribers before the start of the season, which is a lofty goal, but I say, hey, set the sights high. Um, but looking at the analytics, about 40% of you guys are not subscribed that watch the channel every single day. Hit that subscribe button, lock in with us. Uh, like I said, because we post every day, a lot of people think that they're subscribed when they may not be. So, go ahead and hit that subscribe button, help the channel grow. With that said, let's get into the content. So, one of my least favorite options for the Chicago Bulls to do this all season is taking on bad money. And not because I think that it's a bad strategy. We've seen how it works, but it's very rare that the payoff for that comes immediately. Right now, it can. Uh, for example, the Golden State Warriors are a team that, you know, could be looking to dump off Jimmy Butler's contract. You can maybe swap 14, uh, 15 and 11, and you can move up three spots and take on the one remaining bad year of Jimmy Butler's contract, which I think moving up uh, you know, four spots, get a second lottery pick and have your pick of of the litter of players that are going to be in that area, maybe even Cameron Carr, who may go that high. Now, I'm I'm not I wouldn't be mad at that, right? But in a lot of these cases, when you look at dumping off salary, usually the picks are far out because a lot of times those teams have already traded so many of their picks um to where that they they don't have the immediate pick.

[00:02:58]So you could be looking at picks that may not convey into 2030, 2031 in in the cases of some of these teams. And so because of that, it puts you in a spot where you're just like, okay, well, you know, hey, we we we we it may not be the best thing for us. Or, you know, the opposite view of that is, hey, you never know what the state of those teams are going to be. So, a team, you know, that doesn't have a pick till 2031. If they're rebuild efforts don't, or if they're a team that's trying to contend now, they're probably not going to be contending again in 5 years and they could be starting a reset, which then you get the benefit of a pick, right? I mean, you look at the Bulls now. We have the 15th overall pick from a trade that from one of AK's first moves made, right? Not the first move, one of the first trades that he did make in that and that pick came back and paid off four years later. And now look at it.

[00:03:45]It's paying off in a deep draft. So there are times and opportunities where this does work out. And so I'm not going to act like it's like it's it's just all bad because it's not, right? And this literally could help in the future. And who's to say that if the Bulls picks at 4 and 15 work this year, they pair with Modest, no SK turns into something, maybe the Bulls are a playoff team by 2030, 2031. And at that, well, they better be by then. God damn it. I'm not covering another four years of no playoff victories. Um, but with that said, uh, you know, hopefully by then and then you you you get a another you could be a team that has a lottery pick and you shouldn't have that based off where your own pick is. There's a lot of reason why this works and a lot of reason why Bryson Graham could look at this and say, "All right, this is the route that we want to go. This is the route that we feel like it's best." Um, you know, and so there there's that part of it. You don't always have cap space.

[00:04:33]And with the Bulls, you know, Modest Bales needs extension in a couple of years. All those type of things, getting some future draft capital to stack those assets could be there, right? So the Bulls the Bulls cap space could very well be a cheat code in their rebuild, right? And that's just regardless of the Bulls have a clean cap sheet right now.

[00:04:53]Only nine players under contract going into next season. Joskitty's their currently highest paid player at 25 million which when you look around the NBA and how many teams have 40 uh you know $50 million contracts, that's not much at all. Right? The Bulls have one bad contract on their team. That's Patrick Williams at 19 million. Right?

[00:05:09]So chasing a bigname free agent could maybe not not fit the timeline of the Chicago Bulls. It could accelerate that timeline, but you know, the fact of the matter is is Bryson Graham has opened the door to any possibilities, right?

[00:05:21]Cap space only matters, as I've said before, if you use it with discipline.

[00:05:25]Spending just to spend rarely ever works out, right? So, let's take a look at which teams have have contracts that we could look to take on or players contracts that we can look to take on.

[00:05:36]And I'll say how much it is, right?

[00:05:38]Number one that we'll take on here is Dorian Finny Smith, right? He's a real option. he didn't have the season that he wanted with the with the Houston Rockets. It's clear after their season came to a disappointing, you know, they were disappointing in the road season came to a disappointing in in the playoffs, all that type of stuff.

[00:05:53]Houston is going to need flexibility if they want to stay aggressive. Now, could they internally feel like Dorian Finny Smith still has some stuff to give them?

[00:06:00]It's a possibility, right? Um, his contract's three years, $40 million.

[00:06:04]It's only guaranteed through the end of next season, though. So, there you go.

[00:06:07]in regards to that one. The Bulls could also help re uh revamp his his value and then flip him later down cuz Dory Finny Smith is one of those players that, you know, when he's playing well, playoff teams could be interested in. So, if the Bulls take him this off season, we have so many minutes that are open. Let's say he does have a bounceback year and looks good. He could be a a player that's turned around and flipped at the trade deadline. So, that's a possibility for that as well, right? The money shortterm is enough if the picks come with it, right? And I think that's the type of deal that you have to look for in in this is what are you getting back in that case? And that's what the Bulls are going to have to figure themselves out out with. They can absorb all of Dorian Finn Smith's money. It's only $13 million uh each of the next three years.

[00:06:47]So that's how you get up to that $49 million. Uh but again, the the the last year is not fully guaranteed. So you can come out of that with a player option.

[00:06:55]Well, he has a player option in 2829, so he's probably going to pick that up. Um but what could you get back from the Houston Rockets? Well, the Houston Rockets are a team that has uh not their own picks. You look at they have uh a pick in in they have the Dallas Mavericks pick in 2029 that you can give. We don't know what the state of that team is going to be. They do have Cooper Flag, though. Um they have the Phoenix Suns pick in 2029 as well.

[00:07:16]They're a team that's going all in now, but maybe it doesn't work by then. And then they have all their own first round picks from 2030 to 2033. So, they have a number of picks. They can throw in a first round pick. a team that is legitimately trying to contend in the Western Conference right now. You know, they have the pick, so you can go. And I'm not taking anything if it's not a first round pick. Now, you can make it a a protected first round pick, but with three years and a player option on that deal, if it's not a first round pick, I don't know if I'm picking up the the phone. Now, AK, if this is still AK running, he'll probably take five second round picks to get it done. But to me, I think you have to do more than that. I think you ha it has to be a first round pick for the years that are on that contract. If it was just one year, okay, maybe you can get away with it being a second, you know, a couple of second round picks. But three years of that deal, no, I I I need a first round pick in that. Like I said, I'm willing to take a a a top 10 protected, a lottery protected pick, but it has to be a first round pick back in that one. But the next player that we want to talk about is Cam Johnson, currently with the Denver Nuggets. Now, this would also hurt a player that we could go after in restricted free agency. So, this would be the Bulls really looking at uh you know the the the chances of them getting Peyton Watson because the Denver Nuggets, they are looking to dump off salary so that they can keep Peyton Watson on that team. It's very simple.

[00:08:32]That is what they're looking for. That is what they hoping for. Uh they they they want to be able to keep Peyton Watson. And right now, as it stands because of the mandate from their ownership group as well of not paying the second tax apron and paying that repeater tax, they can't do that. even though they can offer him the money and match any salary that they get, they can't do that and stay under the mandate of their ownership. So, you have that part to look at. He's $23 million contract next year. Uh when when when you look at that part of it. Um so, you know, they could also look to cut uh salary with with with Aaron Gordon if they decide to do that. I think they're going to try to keep Aaron Gordon because he's so important for them when he's on the floor, right? And of course, Cam Johnson isn't necessarily a horrible player. I think he finished in the playoffs. He had the strongest game I think in that last game if memory serves me correctly, right? Um, now Denver doesn't have a lot of picks that they can attach to it, but they do have some young players that they could attach to it as well. Right now, I don't know if any of those players are players that interest the Chicago Bulls, but they do have someone. Don Holmes, could he be a player that if you attach that with the Bulls be willing to get that done? And again, you know, they don't have a center. He's more of a forward, but he can play that center position. That's what you look at in in regards to that one. If you are looking at picks, for example, I think the first of Denver Nuggets own picks that they can trade, if I'm not mistaken, is 2032. as far as first round picks. Second round picks, they have those. They can move those if they need to. But Cam Johnson is another player that they can move. Next player, we're going to go the next two players are both players on the Sacramento Kings. That's Demar Rosen and Zack Lavine. We're going to talk about both these guys in this one. And I know former Bulls, a lot of people immediately when they hear a retread, they're like, "We don't want any retreads." And listen, you think I want Zack Lavine or Demard Rosen back on this team. No, we moved off of that. But this isn't for the player. This is more so for what you can get back for them and what the Sacramento Kings have to offer.

[00:10:16]Now, the Kings are going into a rebuild.

[00:10:18]They're probably going to be highly protective over their first round picks.

[00:10:21]They can't trade their own first round pick. I do not believe until Well, no, they have all their own first they can trade any of their own first round picks. Um, if they want to do that, that that comes down to them, right? They uh they have all their own first round picks that they can move. They also have a Minnesota Timberwolves first round pick in 2031 that they can move as well and I believe a San Antonio Spurs first round pick also. Let's look at the the players individually, right? Demar Rosen is a player that just he he he doesn't fit what they want to do. They want to move off Demar Rosen. Now, the benefit about Demar Rosen's contract is it's not fully guaranteed, right? They can come off of it early and and save some money on that if they decide to do that. Is a $25 million contract, so that's what you're looking at in regards to that.

[00:11:01]Um, and like I said, they have some picks that they can do. Um, I say this, right? Demar Rosen is one that if you are bringing in a player like Demard Rosen, the one thing that you do know is at least he's a good locker room guy.

[00:11:12]And as you are going back into a a rebuild, you are resetting. We know he does that. Now, the the downside of that is that you're going to have to play him, right? And when you play Demar Rozan, you have to play Demar Rose in a specific way. That's just the reality of it. the pace, the space that we try to build after moving away from Demar De Rozan, that would almost immediately be hit unless Demar is willing to come off the bench and the Bulls kind of force that and say, "Listen, Demar, listen, you're here for one season. We're not going to ruin our play style that we want to play with these young guys because of you. We'll try to find you somewhere else if we can." And that's the reality of it, you know. So, you do that. I Jamar had some of his best years with the Chicago Bulls, breaking Wil Chamberlain records, but at the same time, you got to think about those other factors into it. Zack Lavine. Oh man.

[00:11:54]Um, listen. Wild. Zack Lavine has a $49 million contract. When you talk about the Bulls having, you know, about 60 million in cap space, you're talking about all of your money immediately being taken up by by Zack Lavine. Now, that's the point of this, right? But we know that Sacramento wants to reset, right? That's what they are. They want to reset after a disappointing season.

[00:12:15]The Bulls already got the value that they're going to get out of out of the Zack Lavine return. So, it is what it is. It only makes sense for the Bulls if you're getting major compensation back for that. That's the only way that it makes sense, right? And so when you look at those first round picks that the Sacramento Kings have to offer, they're probably going to want to push that off because they're not going to be good. So they may not want to trade it until 2031, 2032, something like that or the Minnesota pick in there. But you're going to have to come off some major major hall if you want the Chicago Bulls to take back Zack Lavine. At least in my personal opinion, this is again these moves are not because you're enticed by the player. It's the assets that you get back for taking on the player that become enticing and that's what the Bulls would have to look at in regards to that one. Zack Lavine is I know going to be a trigger for a lot of Bulls fans even here if the Bulls want to even potentially bring him back. Uh but again, think of it this way. It's not about the player. So don't look at it as the Bulls acquiring Zack Lavine the player back because that's that's really not the main part of this. It's that you are acquiring your the assets that you're acquiring. You just Zack Lavine has to be attached to that. That's the best way to look at that. If you can separate that, I know for many Bulls fans, they're not going to be able to.

[00:13:22]Zack Lavine reminds him so much of the dark times of the Chicago Bulls. I'm not mad at any of you guys for that. This is not one of those situations where I'm like, you guys are crazy if you don't want X. No, not saying that at all. I understand it. I feel you. And I felt very icky reading this myself, but it is a reality into that one. And then the last player that we got to talk about is Jeremy Grant, who has two years and $70 million on the books. right now. We know that Portland made the playoffs last year going into a reset. Um, you know, and so in regards to that moving on from Jeremy Grant trying to trying to re-trigger that roster so they can get some other things done, it will make some sense for them, right? The Bulls are going to have to ask for real first round value back in regards to that one. Right? If you want to take on if you want us to take on Jeremy Grant's contract, the conversation only starts with an unprotected first round pick at 2 years 70 million left. it only with the unprotected first round pick back in my personal opinion, right? And so, you know, if you need help to to to to move your roster forward, that's cool. We can help you with that, but we need unprotected first round picks back for that. Now, Portland, who just gave up a first round pick to us, may not be apt to do another deal for the Chicago Bulls, but I think you already see it like he doesn't fit with Denny Advia.

[00:14:36]You want Dinadvia to continue to grow, right? And Denny Avia, for what it's worth, still scores at an efficient level as well. And so you you look at that part of it, but if you are looking at it, the Portland Trailblazers, they have their first round picks. Matter of fact, uh they got they got first round picks from Boston, from Milwaukee, from Orlando. Uh you know, they have all those first round picks from other teams coming and that's just between now and 2029. So in that time period, like much like we did with them before in the 15th overall pick we got now, we'll take on some of that, but we need an unprotected first round pick. Now, you know, it it is what it is, right? and I don't want to wait another four or five years for that pick to convey. So, if you offer the protected the the unprotected first round pick, we can get it done. And some could even say that the Bulls maybe even ask a little bit more than that. So, let me know what you guys think, though.

[00:15:20]These are some of the candidates. I I would almost uh added Isaiah Hartenstein to this list, too, because if the Thunder, which are rumored to need to get below that luxury tax, they have to either opt out of Isaiah Harden's contract or or trade him away. But, who knows? They could win another title and then the ownership could say, "Hey, [ __ ] the luxury tax. we're just going to pay everybody. Let's run it back and try to three repeat. So, that's a possibility there. But, if Isaiah Hardenstein does become available in a salary dap situation, he's another one that I wouldn't mind taking on. And honestly, because he helps the Bulls out of position of need, uh, you're probably not going to get another which trading for the with OKC London and not getting another first round pick would send Bulls in a tizzy. But, uh, you know, that's the reality of that part of it.

[00:16:00]But before we get out of here, I want to talk about the consensus of of the of the picks for the Chicago Bulls, right?

[00:16:05]And I and I so I went through all the the the the mock drafts and the consensus at number four, right, is Caleb Wilson. There's it's Caleb Wilson.

[00:16:14]Like when you look at it, it is Caleb Wilson. That is the consensus player that people have the Bulls drafting at number four. And the reason why I want to talk about this because again, you guys know I cover everything from rumors to news to speculation, everything here.

[00:16:26]It's a one-stop shop for everything Chicago Bulls, right? But the the the recent talk of Darren Peterson probably dropping to four, ex player probably dropping the the the reality of it is still the player that's most commonly mocked to go to the Chicago Bulls is Caleb Wilson. When you look at I looked at nine different mock draft outlets, eight of them had had had Caleb Wilson going to the Chicago Bulls. One had Kingston Flemings. That's it. Right.

[00:16:52]That is it. That's all. And so when you say that like of course you know why like Camboozer is Camboozer, right? He's a player that, you know, was was not my favorite and he's still not my favorite in the top four, but it doesn't mean that I don't see how he can help a team, right? AJ Debons is my is my favorite and Darren Peterson is my second favorite, right? But Caleb Wilson is a player that offers so much versatility, the athleticism, the size, the defensive versatility upside out the wazu to average almost 20 points without a reliable jump shot. I've said it before, he's a guy that fits slap as well.

[00:17:22]Adding another highly athletic, high ceiling player to to modest Bzeelis is is great. Modus, Noah, uh, Caleb Wilson.

[00:17:30]If all those guys work out, you got a forward combo that that could be really be tested around the league, right?

[00:17:36]Really can test around the league if they all hit hit off and close to their ceilings. You have a player like Josh Giddy on the roster who also as his shot creation can make the offense easy for a player like Caleb Wilson. Caleb Wilson makes sense for the Chicago Bulls because the Bulls need more explosiveness in the front court. They need a a versatile defensive weapon. The fit there all makes sense. the defensive ability, the transition scoring, the rim pressure, the weak side shot blocking that he has as well, the long-term star upside, all of that makes sense, right?

[00:18:03]The only main concern about Caleb Wilson is how concerned are you that his shot jump shot will never turn into reliable jump shot. If you're not too worried about that, he's an athletic player who's connector on the defensive side of the ball. And that's fine. If he never turns into an offensive star, the floor is still so high for Caleb Wilson because of what he does with his athleticism and stuff like that. So, I think when it comes down to that, of the mocks that we reviewed, Cayla Wilson is the consensus player pick at number four. That doesn't always mean that that's going to happen, but that is the clear favor. That is where most of these mocks believe it's going is that Caleb Wilson is going to be a Chicago Bull. We got to see if it's going to happen.

[00:18:38]Again, not mad at it at all. The fit next to Josh Giddy and Modest makes a lot of sense. The fit with Bryson Grahams, but philosophies make a lot of sense. Kayla Williams makes sense for the Chicago Bulls. At number 15, there is no real consensus. There is commonly there are two players that are commonly mocked to the Chicago Bulls at number 15. That's Cameron Carr and Jaden Quantins. That's it, right? Those are the most commonly players mocked to it.

[00:19:01]When you look at it out of the times that when you look at the players, it was Cam Carr in the majority of it.

[00:19:06]Jaden Quantins and then a player like Leberon Fillian popped up on one mock.

[00:19:11]Dance Wayne popped up on one two but that's it. We already know, I've covered Cameron Carr so heavily here, but he's had such a strong draft combine that he could have pushed himself into a top 10, top 12 pick, a lottery pick. And that's the reality of it. His his length, the athleticism on the wing, the defensive versatility, how he shoots the ball off ball, which would actually be really good in the back court with Josh Giddy.

[00:19:32]The transition finishing, which fits with the play style that we feel like we're going to have. We don't have a coach yet, so we don't know, right? And then you look at like a player that he's he's a replacement of the archetype that we had with Iodumu with I think more of an offensive ceiling. Not as good of a defender though, right? And so that's the reality. Cameron Carr has legit three-level scoring potential in the NBA. And so the Bulls would be great to get that at number 15, but because of his draft combine, it may not happen.

[00:19:57]Jaden Quantins is a player that a lot of people have qualms with. He is a center.

[00:20:02]I want to be clear. He's a center. Like people like, "Oh, six yards. You notice he's a center. It is what it is there, right? But the injury concern with him is why it it it it it's a concern there.

[00:20:12]And and Bulls fans may want to go if even if you do draft a big, you may want to go more Chris Nick Jr. even though physicality may be a concern with him.

[00:20:20]But Jaden Quantins, what does he bring?

[00:20:21]Physicality, rebounding, rim protection, weak side defense, defensive switchability, the depth in the front court, the toughness that he brings to the court as well. All those type of things, he fits the Bulls. The question becomes about the the polish offensively and the injury concerns. Those are the biggest questions with Jaden Quantence.

[00:20:38]And then the number 38 pick, this is where there is no clear consensus and it's a second round pick. Some of the players that have been mocked here to go to the Chicago Bulls, Ryan Conwell Jr., Joshua Jefferson, uh Jack Khil, Trevor Trevor Basile, and uh and that's those are the players, right? Ryan Conwell is a guard out of Louisville who's a player that's been that was mocked to go to the Chicago Bulls in one of those mocks.

[00:20:59]Shooting guard depth, uh experienced college player as well. He brings that, right? And sometimes when you look at pick number 38, you want a player that has a defined NBA skill. Kar shooting and scoring is that. Now, he may never be more than a bench guard and a score, but he has that. Joshua Jefferson out of Iowa State almost at Ohio State. What he brings as well as a defensive versatility, size at the wing, front court depth. He's definitely a developmental piece. He's going to have to play with the Windy City Bulls for a little while. Not a flashy pick, but could end up being the right pick. And Jack Kaill as well is a guard out of Berlin. long-term upside is going to need to develop. May even be a draft and sash player for a little bit of of of a while there. But a player that could still be interesting, but as of right now, those are the consensus picks for the Chicago Bulls. Um, again, consensus doesn't always mean that that's the route that is going to go. But let me know what you guys think down below. But that's going to do it for today's show.

[00:21:48]Thank you guys so much for tuning in.

[00:21:50]Let me know what you guys think about taking on salary for the Chicago Bulls and what you would like that to look like and also the consensus mocks for the Bulls. Make sure you guys like the video, subscribe to the channel as well.

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