Chicago Bulls: How the Team Should Use the 2012 NBA Draft to Improve

With Derrick Rose almost assuredly out until at least January after suffering a torn ACL in the first round of this past NBA Playoffs, the 2012-13 season will almost certainly be the beginning of transition for the Chicago Bulls. 

Rose's massive five-year, $94.8 million extension kicks in this offseason.  With three other members of the Bulls starting lineup making over $10 million per season (center Joakim Noah and forwards Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer), the team has no room to make any noise on the free agent market until it makes a move.

And with some analysts thinking that the current nucleus around Rose has already peaked, there have been some rumors about almost every member of the supporting cast.  

The team has had discussions with multiple lottery teams about swapping their pick for All-Star forward Luol Deng.  However, according to NBA.com's Sam Smith, the trade seems unlikely to actually happen on draft night.

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I still think because of the injury and the possibility of surgery that could keep Deng out a few months into next season, there won’t be a trade. Also because so many high level small forwards are potentially on the market, like Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala and Danny Granger. And if you could get one of those guys healthy or Deng maybe needing surgery whom would you want? Still, it could make for a wild draft night for the Bulls Thursday.

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Even if Smith is down on trade possibilities, that doesn't mean there won't be one.  And what should the Bulls do on draft night to better their roster?  Here are a few things I had in mind:

1.  Draft the best shooting guard available.

By the time pick No. 29 rolls around, all of the top flight guards will be off the board.  But according to most expert mock drafts, Memphis' Will Barton and Kentucky's Doron Lamb should be on the board when Chicago gets on the clock.

While neither will be starters at the next level, both represent a potential upgrade from what's turned out to be a rather disastrous Richard Hamilton contract.  With Rose out, coach Tom Thibodeau will have the luxury of allowing Barton and Lamb

For what it's worth, I'd take Lamb.  He's a better fit for what the Bulls want to do offensively and shined under the NCAA tournament spotlight.  

2.  Find a Luol Deng suitor in the lottery. 

For all of the talk about Deng's coming out party, the 2011-12 campaign was actually remarkably average for the Coach K protege.  After prorating his numbers for 82 games, Deng produced an estimated 7.06 wins last season, actually down from his true peak 9.28 in 2010-11.

On the other hand, center Joakim Noah produced a prorated 14.50 wins in a season where he was heavily criticized for his early season struggles.  For all of the calls from Bulls fans usher in the Omer Asik era at center, they might want to put the pitchforks down and appreciate their most valuable player.

But if the team can find a suitor in the lottery for Deng, whose value was artificially enhanced by a second team All-Defense selection and All-Star appearance, then they should take it and grab a player like Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb.  

3.  Trade into the second round to select Marquette's Jae Crowder.

Projected by ESPN.com's Chad Ford as going No. 56 to the Toronto Raptors (subscription requited), it wouldn't cost the Bulls much to trade into the second round for a guy who the Wages of Wins metrics say is second best player in the entire draft.  

Especially if the Bulls are committed to moving Deng at some point this offseason or next, Crowder could step in and give Chicago and at least give the team a pretty good Deng impersonation on the defensive end.  

Low risk, high reward? Sounds like the type of deal that wins championships to me.

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