The Chicago Bulls will pick fourth in Wednesday’s 2020 NBA Draft, barring any trades.
But the Bulls haven’t tipped their hand much during the pre-draft process. So, who will they take at No. 4?
That’s a mystery, as the odds from DraftKings and FanDuel indicate.
Here are the odds of who will be selected at No. 4.
Bulls No. 4 pick odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | +130 | +138 |
| Obi Toppin | +275 | +360 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | +400 | +410 |
| Patrick Williams | +500 | +360 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | +600 | +1500 |
| LaMelo Ball | +1000 | +710 |
| Killian Hayes | +1500 | +1500 |
| James Wiseman | +1500 | +1200 |
| Anthony Edwards | +2000 | +2500 |
| Isaac Okoro | +3000 | +4000 |
There are a few reasons why this draft feels more up in the air than years past, particularly for Chicago.
The franchise overhauled its front office this season. Arturas Karnisovas is the new vice president of basketball operations; he was previously the No. 2 man with the Denver Nuggets.
Marc Eversley, formerly with the Philadelphia 76ers, is the new Bulls GM. They replace John Paxson and Gar Forman, respectively, a long overdue change, if you ask the fanbase.
Karnisovas and Eversley are widely respected around the league, and we know that the Nuggets prioritized playmaking and offensive skill during Karnisovas’ tenure. We’ve never seen him operate his own draft, though, so questions remain.
Another reason for the uncertainty: This draft doesn’t appear to have a lot of obvious top-line talent, but there are plenty of solid and/or intriguing prospects available. Thus, certain players have an extremely wide range going into Wednesday.
For example, we don’t have a great idea of who will go No. 1 as of this writing. That’s usually not the case by draft day.
The Bulls have been linked to Deni Avdija, a 6’9″ swingman with playmaking chops. He’s the clear favorite to be the pick at DraftKings and FanDuel, and he would appear to be someone that fits Karnisovas’ style.
But the Bulls are also reportedly targeting a lead ball handler, and they just declined to extend a qualifying offer to Kris Dunn. Chicago is likely going to add a lead guard soon, whether it’s in the draft or by trade or free agency.
Value down the odds board?
The Bulls are in dire need of a facilitator, as Coby White and Zach LaVine are score-first guards.
LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton are two of the best passers in the draft, and you can get either at 10/1 odds or higher (depending on where you look).
Ball might not be there by the time the Bulls are up to pick at No. 4. But if he is, it’s hard to envision Chicago passing on someone with his playmaking ability and star potential, despite his many warts.
There’s a huge difference between Haliburton’s odds at DraftKings and FanDuel. On paper, he’s exactly what the Bulls need: A 6’5″ guard who’s a good passer (6.5 assists per game at Iowa State last season) and a knockdown shooter (42% from 3-point range).
Killian Hayes is also an intriguing long-shot option, and his range is high going into Wednesday. But he’s another talented lead guard who can make his teammates better, something Chicago desperately needs.
Could the Bulls trade out of No. 4?
Of course, and that’s the risk you run in making a bet like this. On Wednesday morning, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Bulls had discussed trading the No. 4 pick and center Wendell Carter to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 2 pick.
Sources: The Warriors and Bulls have discussed a trade that’d send the second pick in exchange for the fourth pick and Wendell Carter Jr.
More detail, reports and analysis inside my latest Mock Draft update on @ringer: https://t.co/MWGF6RSakS
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 18, 2020
And in the NBA, trades often come out of nowhere. That uncertainty is likely baked into the odds, at least to some extent.
Bulls fans are going to learn a lot about their new decision-makers on Wednesday.
