In the last 10 years (2013-2023), the Bulls draft capital has rarely turned anyone who has positively contributed to the team or improved WHILE on the team. Just a summary of players drafted by the Bulls and had played on the team.
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Erik Murphy |
| 2013 | Tony Snell |
| 2014 | Cameron Bairstow |
| 2015 | Bobby Portis |
| 2016 | Paul Zipster |
| 2016 | Denzel Valentine |
| 2016 | Kris Dunn |
| 2017 | Lauri Markannen |
| 2018 | Chandler Huchison |
| 2018 | Wendell Carter Jr |
| 2019 | Coby White |
| 2019 | Daniel Gafford |
| 2020 | Marko Simonovic |
| 2020 | Patrick Williams |
| 2021 | Ayo Dosunmu |
| 2022 | Dalen Terry |
| 2023 | Julian Phillips |
Now the Bulls haven’t had a first round pick since the 2020 draft but it seems like anyone picked really hasn’t delivered in the ways that benefit the team by much. Is it a lack of player fit in the coaching scheme? Subpar scouting? Failure of coaching staff on player development? Just sucks to see players who didn’t live up to expectation on the Bulls suddenly become at a key contributor (Lauri) or good role players for their next squads (Wendell Carter Jr/Daniel Gafford come to mind).
I don’t know what the issue is now, but I remember when GarPax was first fired it was stated that the team had one development coach for the entire team. One guy was supposed to help every player figure out what needed to be worked on and how, on top of stuff like helping them adjust to life on the road, making sure they’re eating right, and all that other stuff new players need.
Most teams in the modern league have one guy per rookie. The Bulls had one dude for the entire franchise. It was such a backwards move and seemed to be done simply to save on money. It’s also why guys who sucked here suddenly thrived on young teams with a lot of coaching. They finally had someone who worked with them constantly to build their skills at the pro level.