Fansided

NBA Draft 2016: Grades for every team

By Cody Williams

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23: Denzel Valentine is interviewed after being drafted 14th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23: Denzel Valentine is interviewed after being drafted 14th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Chicago Bulls

Picks: No. 14 Denzel Valentine, No. 48 Paul Zipser

Quite frankly, it was a bit of a weird night for the Chicago Bulls in the 2016 NBA Draft. Despite the fact that they had the last pick of the lottery and that there were a plethora of young assets available at that point because of the crazy way that the first round played out, no one was really talking about them in that regard at that point—but everyone was talking about them nonetheless.

For the Bulls, they were on the tip of everyone’s tongue because of all of the trade chatter going on essentially from the very start of the draft. Chicago was reportedly quite active in trying to move up in the draft and was heavily in pursuit of trading up to get Kris Dunn in a trade. There’s a chance they would’ve struck a deal with the Celtics at No. 3 had Boston taken Dunn and they tried to get a deal done with the Wolves at No. 5 after they did take Dunn, but Minnesota wouldn’t give up Zach LaVine even for Jimmy Butler.

That they failed to make such a deal is obviously disappointing, but their actual picks are quite vanilla in the end. Denzel Valentine was great in college for Michigan State, but I’m not totally sure if his game translates to the NBA or specifically to the Bulls. Moreover, Paul Zipser might not be coming over just yet. It wasn’t a failure for the Bulls on Thursday, but it definitely wasn’t a draft day performance to write home about by any stretch.

Final Grade: C

Next: Cavaliers

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