NBA Draft 2020: 5 best fits for Obi Toppin

2. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls, like the Suns, are trying to take the next step towards the playoffs, and a major piece that could help them would be a competent third big behind Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. While Thaddeus Young and Christiano Felicio did fine this year, neither is an optimal complement to both players, and that could make Toppin a good fit. In lineups with Markkanen, the Bulls could get better interior spacing to create more optimal looks for the Finnish big. Meanwhile, Toppin can complement Carter’s passing ability with his own, creating opportunities for interesting two-man games on the interior.

Now, charging the Bulls with developing Toppin is an unknown, as they’re transitioning from one of the worst development staffs in the league to whatever they’ll end up as under the Arturas Karnisovas regime. That’s concerning because there are clear weaknesses for Toppin as a third big here, most notably how a Markkanen/Toppin frontcourt defends anything. But his offensive versatility could unlock a lot for this team in bringing them closer to the best offensive teams in the league. He’s also one of the players that presumed lame-duck coach Jim Boylen could help development-wise, as expanding his post-game and teaching him some basic defensive principles are two paramount development pathways to hit early. Toppin could be a very useful piece in Chicago for their transition into a new age of competitive basketball.