Since Gar Forman was named general manager following the 2008-09 season, the Bulls' front office has pillaged the NBA Draft. While perennial bottom feeders searched for their next super star in the lottery, Forman, John Paxson and the Bulls simply waited their turn to scoop up prospects with collegiate production, NBA-ready frames and the mental make-up to deal with playing under perfectionist Tom Thibodeau.
The numbers tell the story. Since 2009, 110 of the 180 first-round draft picks have been underclassmen (or the international equivalent), including 23 of the first 30 picks last June. But Forman and the Bulls haven't contributed much to that 61 percent figure.
In the current regime's tenure (six drafts), they've selected and kept seven first-rounders. Four of those draft picks were upperclassmen - Taj Gibson (24-year-old junior, 2009), Jimmy Butler (2011), Tony Snell (junior, 2013) and Doug McDermott (senior, 2014) - while just three were underclassmen - James Johnson (sophomore, 2009), Nikola Mirotic (20 years old, 2011) and Marquis Teague (freshman, 2012). One could even consider Mirotic an "upperclassman" considering the Bulls knew he wouldn't arrive in Chicago until he had years of professional experience in Spain under his belt.
It's no secret, either, that of those seven picks the Bulls' two biggest draft busts were the underclassmen, with Johnson lasting less than two years in Chicago before bouncing around the NBA, finding balance in Memphis and Toronto, and Teague out of the NBA just three years after leading Kentucky to a 40-1 national championship season.
[MORE: NBA Draft Profile: Notre Dame G Jerian Grant]
With the verdict still out on McDermott - the rookie missed six weeks after knee surgery in mid-November and never found a spot in the rotation - Forman and the Bulls have gone 3-for-3 on their "veteran" selections. Gibson has carved out a role as one of the top sixth men in the league, Butler improved each year and earned his first All-Star nod in February, and Snell showed significant improvement in his outside shot in Year 2 (32.0% as a rookie to 37.1% as a sophomore on 19 more attempts) and could see an expanded role next season if Mike Dunleavy (UFA) doesn't return.
The Bulls will again be afforded that same luxury of selecting outside the lottery this year, after teams have selected the fresh, young talent - 11 of the first 12 picks in Ed Issacson's mock draft are freshmen - they hope will turn around their franchise's fortunes. And as has been the case in years' past, there's plenty of "veteran" talent to be had around pick No. 22, where the Bulls will select in June.
NBA
One of those names that figures to come up in pre-draft discussions is Notre Dame senior guard Jerian Grant. The fifth-year senior saw his draft stock rise this past season when he was named a consensus All-American, leading the Irish to an ACC Tournament championship and an Elite Eight berth, with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Kentucky almost sending the Irish into the history books and onto the Final Four.
Grant averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 assists in his final season in South Bend, taking the reins of a Notre Dame team that began the year outside the top 25 and finished ranked No. 5.
[MORE NBA DRAFT: Will Frank Kaminsky turn college success into NBA greatness?]
He'll be 23 years old by the time the NBA season begins, ancient by draft standards compared to the likes of fellow 19-year-old point guards D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Tyus Jones, all of whom are projected to be selected before Grant hears his name called.
Grant admits his age may be a "concern" for some teams. He also admits there's upside in a player like him.
"Me being this old means that I’m more ready right now," he said at the NBA Draft Combine. "At the same time I can get a lot better. The way I work I know I’m going to get a lot better, but at 22 I think I’ll be able to come in and help a team when they need me right now."
That certainly fits the bill in Chicago. The Bulls' ongoing carousel behind Derrick Rose - C.J. Watson, Nate Robinson, D.J. Augustin, Aaron Brooks - has provided temporary stopgaps but nothing of real substance or foundation. Kirk Hinrich will be 35 next season and is coming off the worst statistical season of his career (1.0 Win Shares in 66 games) and, after the Teague failure, the Bulls are still looking for a permanent solution behind Rose.
Grant continued his onslaught at the rim, connecting on better than 57 percent of his two-pointers last season. He saw a significant regression from beyond the 3-point line (40.8% to 31.6% this season) but chalked that up having the ball in his hands more and teams keying in on him defensively following the graduation of senior Eric Atkins in 2013-14. He's confident his shot will come around to form when he's no longer the main option in an offense at the next level.
"I know I’m probably not going to be a guy who has the ball in his hands as much as I did this year at Notre Dame, but just being able to play off the ball a little bit more and be able to knock down shots is going to be big," he said.
[SHOP BULLS: Get your Bulls gear right here]
He'll make his contributions in the NBA as a versatile scorer and playmaker - he watches film of James Harden and Damian Lillard - and will be able to do it from Day 1. Whereas his younger counterparts may need time to acclimate, Grant has 120 collegiate games to his resume and step into a secondary role right away.
The Bulls will have competition to obtain Grant's services, as Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Houston, Washington and Dallas all need point-guard help. But if he's on the board at No. 22, Grant could provide help to the Bulls immediately while also watching him grow like the upperclassmen they've already succeeded in drafting.
"I work harder that anyone in this draft so I know I’m going to continue to get better," he said, "and me being old, I think I’m ready to go right now. I’m ready to help a team right now, but a few years down the road I think I’ll be even better to help a team."