2018 NBA Mock Draft: Knicks go big with Mo Bamba
24. . G/F. Villanova. Mikal Bridges. 6. player
If the stars align for the Bulls to draft Bridges, they will enter an important free agency period with a long-term answer on the wing that allows them to feel more comfortable moving on from David Nwaba.
Chicago needs to learn the lessons of last summer, when they gave Cristiano Felicio a big extension that is already something of an albatross. They also need to begin to construct a cap plan that includes an extension for Zach LaVine. In the frontcourt, they have two players in Robin Lopez and Omer Asik who will make over $10 million next season. The Bulls should draft Bridges, add him to the group of core young players they will rebuild with, and start to construct a roster that makes sense around those guys.
Justin Holiday will be a free agent in 2019, the same summer Denzel Valentine’s contract offers an out for Chicago in the form of a team option. That means in two summers, each of the wings who contributed for the team this season could be gone. Nwaba will be too expensive this summer, Holiday likely too old by next summer. Take Bridges as your starting 3 for the future next to Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen and see what you can do from there.