The Chicago Bulls acquired a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and selected Julian Phillips out of Tennessee with the pick. Chicago got the pick from the Wizards. It was the lone selection for the Bulls in the draft, who were without a first-round selection due to the Nikola Vucevic trade they made with the Orlando Magic.
Sources: The Bulls are acquiring the No. 35 pick from Wizards and selecting Julian Phillips. https://t.co/Z8rZKX2Rl3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023
Phillips fits the typical “3-and-D” mold in the NBA, although he does need to improve from range to truly reach that ceiling. He’s likely to get some playing time on the second unit in Chicago, and he’ll be counted on to knock down perimeter shots with the likes of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan creating space for him when they drive. We’ll see if Phillips can make an impact right away, or if he struggles to adapt to the NBA.
The Bulls were able to make a move to add a young prospect, but they’ll need significant internal improvement to make a playoff push unless they shake up the core.