The Chicago Bulls vaulted from ninth to fourth in Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery, giving newly hired head of basketball operations Bryson Graham an unexpected asset only weeks into the job.
“It’s exciting, man. I can’t believe it,” Graham told The Athletic after the drawing. “I just got the job and I got the fourth pick. It’s crazy.”
Graham cautioned that landing a projected top-tier prospect such as Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer will not by itself restore the franchise to contender status. “Let’s not sit here and say because we have the fourth pick and all of a sudden this franchise is back,” he said. “This is just a good opportunity to add high-level talent and build this, layer it appropriately.”
Pacers send No. 5 pick to Clippers
Lottery fortune swung the other way for Indiana. The Pacers’ ping-pong balls landed fifth, a slot that triggered the final obligation of February’s Ivica Zubac deal and sent the pick to the Los Angeles Clippers. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard apologized to fans and explained why the selection carried only top-four protection.
“Everybody says, ‘Why didn’t you protect it a lot deeper?’ Unfortunately, we weren’t able to,” Pritchard said, according to the Indianapolis Star. “That was the vig for us to get Zu. We felt we needed a starting center for a championship push. The Clippers would not budge beyond top-four protection.”
General manager Chad Buchanan added that, regardless of the lottery outcome, Indiana will explore free agency and trades for bench scoring—particularly on the wing—and may pursue an upgrade at backup center, Forbes reported.
Harden sparks Cavaliers in Game 3
In Cleveland, James Harden knocked down several late buckets to secure Saturday’s Game 3 win over the Detroit Pistons. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said a phone conversation the night before helped refocus the veteran guard.
“I told him, ‘You’re our guy,’” Atkinson recalled to Cleveland.com. “Pick guys up when it’s not going perfect. Reaffirm your belief in them. I trust you implicitly.”
The series continues with Game 4 on Monday in Detroit.
Source: Hoops Rumors
