Chicago Bulls projected to draft 19-year-old SEC PF by CBS

The Chicago Bulls disappointing end to their 2024-25 season has them praying for some insane luck at the draft lottery next Monday. They found themselves in the play-in tournament once again this past year and got blown out at home against the Miami Heat. While this was a tough way to end a season that had plenty of excitement down the stretch, the front office now sits with the harsh reality that there are in a similar spot entering this summer compared to a year ago.

A couple of key veterans were dealt away either last offseason or at the trade deadline, with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso all out in the Western Conference now. There appears to be more of a direction in place in Chicago, but it still feels like the Bulls need to tear down their roster completely if they want a chance to win a title in the next decade or so.

If the Bulls don’t get the lottery luck they are hoping for and stand pat with the 12th overall pick, they will need to draft based on upside. In the latest CBS mock draft before the lottery, Chicago is projected to get some frontcourt help out of the SEC.

The Chicago Bulls are projected to drafted Collin-Murray Boyles

Collin Murray-Boyles has played both of his seasons at the collegiate level with South Carolina and saw his production between his freshman and sophomore campaigns. The power forward averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this past year on 58.6% shooting from the field. The Columbia, SC native stayed close to home to continue his career and his time with the Gamecocks will turn into him being a first-round draft pick this summer.

Adam Finkelstein of CBS has Chicago taking Murray-Boyles with the 12th pick if they stay in that spot after the lottery.

“Murray-Boyles is long, strong, very smart, and impactful on both ends of the floor, even if he’s closer to an undersized five-man who doesn’t yet space the floor,” Finkelstein writes. “With Nikola Vucevic headed into a contract year, and big potential shooters like Jalen Smith and Matas Buzelis at the forward/wing spots, this could be a fit.”

Murray-Boyles rebounds the ball well and is a strong interior presence on the offensive end of the floor. He’s an athletic power forward that can quickly cut to the rim and be a mismatch on certain big men in the NBA when he makes his debut this fall.

Why Collin Murray-Boyles wouldn’t fit the Chicago Bulls well

One of the downfalls with Murray-Boyles is the fact that he is limited offensively. Even though he finishes well around the rim, he isn’t the best shooter and can’t stretch the floor consistently. At six-foot-seven, he would be considered an under-sized power forward in the NBA, and even though Finkelstein believes that the Bulls could work it out, he plays too similar to the current big men on Chicago’s roster.

Murray-Boyles would be a solid pick in the long run, which goes back to why the Bulls would need to use the 12th pick in this scenario to draft based on upside. However, the front office shouldn’t expect him to make an immediate impact from day one, as he would be a work in progress.