The Chicago Bulls were far more competitive throughout the year than many people anticipated. In Josh Giddey, as he put together his best season to date, the Bulls potentially have a building block for the future. But surrounding him with the right talent has to be a desperate need for the Windy City.
And one analyst believes finding a long-term backcourt partner for the Australian might be the best course of action. In the 2025 NBA Draft, he has the perfect candidate for the job in the form of a second-generation star.
Chicago Bulls Could Find Backcourt Running Mate for Josh Giddey
The biggest concern for the Bulls adding another player to their guard rotation has to be the excess of it. Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Lonzo Ball are four good-to-great guards already on the roster.
But Kevin O’Connor, in his mock draft post-lottery, still sees them going after Jase Richardson with the 12th overall pick in the draft. That could potentially signal the end for one, if not more, of the foursome already in Chicago.
But Richardson as a prospect is hard to pass up on. “A skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson,” is how Connor describes the Spartans freshman.
“Pairing Richardson with Josh Giddey could make for a lethal two-man combination since Richardson is so potent moving without the ball. Jase didn’t inherit his father’s height or dunk contest athletics, though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside.”
Plus, with the amount of creators already in the lineup, Richardson could slowly get accimilated to the NBA pace before eventually taking over creation duties.
The latest mock draft from PFSN, however, has higher hopes for the second-generation star. Going two picks ahead, Sterling Xie has Richardson joining a Houston Rockets team that desperately needs some offensive production in the half-court.
On the other hand, the Bulls get to address their biggest area of concern, the frontcourt. With Matas Buzelis, they have one wing position potentially locked down. However, Patrick Williams hasn’t taken the leap many Bulls fans were hoping for.
It might be time to move on and Collin Murray-Boyles out of South Carolina is Xie’s answer. “The South Carolina product is one of the more skilled offensive bigs in the draft, which gives him a reasonable chance at ending up in the lottery.”
Averaging close to 17 points a game on exceptional shooting (58.6% from the field), he has incredible two-way chops in the form of 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in his lone season for the Gamecocks.
“The defensive impact gives him a high floor, though, and the Chicago Bulls could use a more diverse offense after leaning heavily on the backcourt of Coby White and Josh Giddey this season.”
For the Bulls, it makes far more sense to go front-court with the logjam at the guard spot, making Murray-Boyles a better choice for their specific needs.
Get rid of Billy Dumb Dumb as coach and you might have something