The Chicago Bulls are entering the 2013 offseason with tons of hope after making it the second round of playoffs despite missing point guard Derrick Rose for the entire season and now that they will have him back, the franchise is ready to make big strides in the East against the Miami Heat.
The first step this offseason is the NBA draft and the team has two selections with the 20th pick in the first round and the number 49 pick in the second round. Those two selections could help add some much needed depth and support to the roster and if the team is feeling frisky they also could try and spin those into a higher pick with a trade, although it is more likely that they will sit tight on it. The team has been rumored to be looking at a Luol Deng trade with someone and that deal could come just a day before the draft if they pull the trigger.
The Bulls like their core of Rose and Joakim Noah and they could try and add some more young talent to the team through free agency, as they may lose some players, including Nate Robinson. During the playoffs Robinson came up big while players were hurt and he likely will turn that into a solid contract as free agency begins, as he is now in demand. Deng is not the only player on the block, as Danny Granger and LaMarcus Aldridge have been mentioned in deals and those could go down coming into the draft as well.
The Cavaliers have said that they are willing to trade the number one pick, but it is unlikely the Bulls are getting into those discussions seriously. The team may need more scoring even with Rose back after ranking 29th in the league, but other than that they appear set, as they were in the top 10 rankings in the NBA in defense, rebounding and assists. The Bulls have done a solid job in the past in the draft, getting names like Rose, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson and now they will try and figure out how to bring in talent again.
The team has the number 20 pick and they almost had the Bobcats selection, but since it is a top-12 protected pick, which was moved to next year. Nazr Mohammed is a free agent and the team has big needs at shooting guard and on the inside. California's Allen Crabbe could be a fit at that part of the draft and while most of the top players will be gone by that point in the first round, there are others they will likely be able to target, including Jeff Withey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Crabbe and Jamaal Franklin as well as Gorgui Dieng or Mason Plumlee. Adding a solid player will give Rose and the Bulls a chance to challenge the Heat in the East.