2024 NBA Mock Draft: Blazers take game-changer, Spurs get star at 1
By Tyler Watts
7. Chicago Bulls snag Izan Almansa
The Bulls are one of the toughest teams to read in the NBA. They acquired DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to pair with Zach LaVine in hopes of building a contender, but it never happened.
Lonzo Ball’s injury is partially to blame, and he has already been ruled out for the season. Chicago had a first-round playoff exit in 2022 before missing the playoffs entirely last year. It is time for a retool in the Windy City, and it could start in the 2024 Draft.
Almansa will be in the running for the top pick in a wide-open class. The 6’10 big man is a bucket who loves to attack the rim. He is a talented post-scorer with strong rebounding chops. The teenager can guard on the perimeter defensively and could be a difference-maker who allows his team to switch everything.
Almansa is the third G League Ignite player off the board already. There will be plenty of chances to shine on the court with Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis. Almansa needs to improve his jumper, but he was MVP of the FIBA under-19 World Cup this summer for a reason. The 6’10 forward also won MVP honors at the under-19 European Championships and the under-17 World Cup in 2022. He is a special talent with plenty of room to grow.
The Chicago Bulls could look vastly different at the start of the 2024-25 season and should go best player available if they are picking in the lottery.