Bulls get the 7th pick in the 2019 NBA draft lottery: 'There's luck involved. We weren't lucky.'
By K.C. Johnson
In lieu of lucky numbers on pingpong balls popping up through the chute of the NBA's draft-lottery machine Tuesday night, the Bulls have to hope the third time is the charm.
Dropping a full three slots, the Bulls will pick seventh for the second straight year and own draft rights to that pick for a third straight year. The Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr. last year and acquired Lauri Markkanen in the 2017 draft-day trade of Jimmy Butler that started the rebuild — and these draft lottery appearances.
"You're always disappointed," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said of dropping from their projected fourth spot. "But there's luck involved. We weren't lucky. We feel we have two very good pieces that we got in the last two drafts at No. 7. We're just going to try to keep building this thing.
"We've gone on our board already. And there are more than seven (players) there that we like. Now we have to get in the process of getting to see them and know them and really dissect them. We'll get to work now."
The Pelicans cashed in a mere 6 percent chance to storm from the seventh seed to win the lottery and the right to draft Duke's freakishly athletic big man Zion Williamson, who sat in a front row at the Hilton Chicago Grand Ballroom to find out his new employer.
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"We're not sure what we're going to do," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry deadpanned in a locked-down hotel backroom where the lottery actually took place before the picks were revealed on a TV special. "But he's definitely in play."
Gentry's reaction when the pingpong ball combination of 7-4-12-13 hit was priceless. He shouted a profanity as he raised his arms, then apologized as he walked around the lottery backroom, slapping hands with representatives from other teams. Nevertheless, he kept his cool enough not to mention Williamson by name, which is a no-no.
The Grizzlies jumped from No. 8 to No. 2, and the Lakers moved from 11 to 4. Only the Knicks, who shared a 14 percent chance to earn the top pick with the Suns and Cavaliers, stayed in the top four. The Knicks landed third.
In short, the league's first year of draft-lottery reform to discourage tanking worked.
"From a league perspective, they have to be thrilled at how it played out," Paxson said. "They did (lottery reform) for a lot of different reasons. They don't want teams to throw in the towel 20 games into a season. Tonight showed what they envisioned probably held true. I had a funny feeling something odd was going to happen. And it did."
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The Bulls entered with a 16.8 percent chance to fall to seventh, where point guards like North Carolina's Coby White or Vanderbilt's Darius Garland or Duke wing Cam Reddish could be available. That is, if the Bulls don't try to package the pick with someone like Kris Dunn to try to upgrade the point guard position. If the Grizzlies draft Murray State's Ja Morant at No. 2, might Mike Conley Jr. be available?
Like many teams, the Bulls use tiers to break down drafts. And while Paxson wouldn't reveal in which tier No. 7 falls, he did concede that dropping there could bring into play drafting more based on need than selecting the best player available. Paxson is on record as saying he wants to upgrade at point guard.
"If you're looking at comparable guys in a tier, sometimes need takes precedent over that. I've talked to our entire group about keeping a real open mind about things like that this year," Paxson said. "We made a trade at the deadline last February for Otto Porter. We feel at the 2-3-4-5 spot, we're really solid. And I'm confident we'll find a player in this draft that fits us and suits us.
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"Only one team can get that young man (Williamson) tonight. And it's New Orleans. Good for them. My mind immediately went to the fact that three of the top four are going out West and New York didn't get No. 1. So that's something in our favor."
Horace Grant, the Bulls' representative on stage, grimaced, and an audible groan could be heard in the ballroom when deputy commissioner Mark Tatum opened the envelope revealing the Bulls at No. 7. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, President Michael Reinsdorf, general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen watched from the crowd. Joey Reinsdorf, Michael's son and Jerry's grandson, represented the franchise in the lottery backroom.
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"You always come into a situation like this hoping. We got lucky years ago," Paxson said, alluding to when the Bulls cashed in a 1.7 percent chance in 2008 to draft Derrick Rose. "It didn't work out. But we're confident we will get a player we can add. Obviously in this draft there's a generational type of guy. And New Orleans is better off for it. But this is about building a team and I'm always confident we'll find value where we draft.
"I stay committed, along with my staff, to get this right. We're going to add another good player in this draft. We're going to spend some money in free agency where we add some vets who help our team. Get over the disappointment quickly because you have a lot of work to do."
kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
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