Feb 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) reacting after dunking against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Blue Devils won 106-70. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
NBA Mock Draft: Chicago Bulls Add 7-Footer
In offloading several members of their middling core in the past few months, the Chicago Bulls finally and officially seem to be moving towards a rebuild.
They moved win-now guard Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey in the offseason, let star DeMar DeRozan walk and finally offloaded a massive contract in Zach LaVine at this year’s trade deadline. Suffice it to say, despite a colossal Monday night win over Philadelphia, they’re trending toward a youth movement.
Still, the team isn’t set to land a top-five pick just yet, unless the odds massively fall in their favor. Instead, they’ll likely land somewhere in the middle of the lottery, and will be tasked with adding a player to their core for the long haul.
In a recent NBA mock draft I posted to YouTube, the Bulls nabbed Duke 7-footer Khaman Maluach at No. 8. You can watch the full video below, or read on:
At a legitimate 7-foot-2 Maluach has helped aid the second-ranked Blue Devils in the interior this season, averaging 8.2 points on an elite 71% shooting. Additionally, he’s added 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game across his 20.4 minutes.
Maluach is the next in line of fluid 7-footers, able to finish efficiently around the rim with length, and sky-high for dunks. Defensively, he’s not as poised as the last few centers to come through the draft ranks, but makes up for it with decent fluidity on the offensive end, able to stretch out to the perimeter.
He’s a highly unique prospect, and one that has been garnering top-10 stock for some time now.
The Bulls have long used the offensive-minded Nikola Vukcevic as their center. He’s continued his always-solid production this year — averaging over 19 points and 10 rebounds — but likely isn’t a vital part to the team’s future at 33.
In drafting Maluach, the Bulls would stick with their length them, having added a jumbo guard in Giddey, as well as lengthy project forward Matas Buzelis in last year’s lottery. Maluach certainly offers a different look then Vukcevic, but would be allowed to develop as a play-finisher, defender and possibly even shooter in the Bulls’ new core.
