NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Bulls land a new face of the franchise; Lakers make a trade

NBA Draft prospect Gradey Dick (The Topeka Capital-Journal)
NBA Draft prospect Gradey Dick (The Topeka Capital-Journal)
1 of 22
NBA Draft
NBA Draft prospect Victor Wembanyama (Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports)

In the latest edition of our 2023 NBA Mock Draft, the Chicago Bulls land a new face for the franchise and the Los Angeles Lakers make a trade.

The 2023 NCAA Tournament is underway and by the end of the weekend, the college basketball season will be down to 16 teams. And we’ll be that much closer to the start of the pre-draft season. With the 2023 NBA Draft just a few months away, it’s all beginning to become more and more real.

And a consensus atop many NBA Draft boards is beginning to develop. We know that Victor Wembanyama is likely going to be the No. 1 overall pick, no matter who ends up with the top selection but after that, there is much to be determined in this year’s NBA Draft. And that’s where it gets fun.

But as we inch closer and closer to the NBA Draft, some of that will begin to clear up. In the latest edition of our NBA Mock Draft, the Chicago Bulls jump up to the No. 1 pick, the Orlando Magic move up a couple of spots to No. 2, and the Washington Wizards jump into the top 3 in our simulated NBA Draft Lottery. Let’s get to our latest mock draft.

1. Chicago Bulls – Victor Wembanyama, C, France

By jumping to No. 1 in our simulated NBA Draft Lottery, the Chicago Bulls will land a new face of the franchise in Victor Wembanyama. It would be interesting to see what the team would do if that actually took place in real life. Would the team then move forward with their current core or would they be more willing to trade DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine in an attempt to rebuild?

It would be interesting to see what the next step would be for the Bulls if they found a way to land the No. 1 overall pick, but there’s no question they would have a new face of the franchise moving forward.