An uneventful NBA draft for the Central Division likely didn’t do much to change its balance of power for the immediate future.
The only Central Division team with a first-round pick was the Chicago Bulls, who bet on Noa Essengue's long-term upside by using the No. 12 overall pick on the 18-year-old French forward. A few of their Central rivals then added more experienced college players in Thursday's second round.
Indiana added a pair of 23-year-old guards, as they acquired the No. 38 pick from San Antonio to take Marquette's Kam Jones and then chose Liberty's Taelon Peter at No. 54. Detroit also added a 23-year-old guard by selecting Tennessee's Chaz Lanier at No. 37. With the first of its two second-round picks, Cleveland took 21-year-old Duke guard Tyrese Proctor at No. 49.
Those older guards represented a contrast from the big swing Chicago took on a teenager.
Essengue is the second-youngest player in this draft class and only three days older than No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the former Duke star who went first overall to Dallas. The 6-foot-9 Essengue has played professionally in Germany the last two years.
“I think I can do pretty much everything, all the little details like shooting, passing the ball, attacking the rim," Essengue said. "That’s my biggest strength right now, is the open-court game.”
Essengue has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, but he left his team as it competed in the German league finals to be in New York for the draft.
“We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm," Essengue said. “(I said), ‘If I go to the green room, I’m leaving. The coach said, ‘Yes, go to see your dream.’ So yeah, the day I (found out) I’m in the green room, Coach said, ’Just go there and live your dream, and we’re gonna finish the job.’ ”
Essengue's youth means that this pick might not pay immediate dividends for the Bulls, who have just one playoff appearance in the five seasons since Arturas Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations.
“I see him as a two-way player who can impact the game both offensively and defensively," Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said. “His ability to get to the free-throw line and play downhill is super intriguing to us. I think he’ll be able to be a versatile wing defender.”
Chicago Bulls
Needs: The Bulls were seeking frontcourt help, particularly at center with veteran Nikola Vucevic entering the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal.
Who they drafted: They took Essengue at No. 12 overall. In the second round, they acquired the No. 55 pick from the Los Angeles Lakers and selected Lachlan Olbrich, a 21-year-old forward from Australia.
NBA comparison for Essengue: His ball-handling skills and ability to finish and defend have drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam and Nicolas Batum. But he will need to improve his shooting. Essengue turns 19 in December.
Detroit Pistons
Needs: The Pistons could use some size and outside shooting. They lacked frontcourt muscle when burly forward Isaiah Stewart missed much of the first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Detroit also needed to make more 3-pointers in the closely contested series. The three-time championship franchise finally has a star to build around in All-NBA third team guard Cade Cunningham. Now, it needs time to determine if former first-round picks Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can help Cunningham on the perimeter.
Who they drafted: They used the No. 37 overall pick on Lanier, a 6-4 guard who averaged 18 points his lone year at Tennessee after spending four seasons at North Florida.
Indiana Pacers
Needs: With centers Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson all potentially hitting free agency, Indiana’s most glaring hole is frontcourt depth. Indiana would like to re-sign Turner, a deal that could send the Pacers into the first salary cap apron. Finding an experienced big man would be ideal. Even after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon, Indiana still has plenty of backcourt bodies.
Who they drafted: Indiana obtained the No. 38 overall pick in a trade with San Antonio and used it on Kam Jones, who earned Associated Press All-America second-team honors at Marquette. They used the No. 54 pick on Peter, who had 13.7 points per game at Liberty this year after previously playing for Tennessee Tech and Arkansas Tech.
Milwaukee Bucks
Needs: Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles, Gary Trent Jr.’s unrestricted free agency and Kevin Porter’s potential free agency (he has a $2.5 million player option) creates plenty of backcourt questions. The Bucks also could use a young big man. Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are unrestricted free agents, and Bobby Portis could join them if he doesn’t pick up his $13.4 million option
Who they drafted: In the second round, the Bucks used the 47th overall pick on Bogoljub Markovic, a 6-11 forward from Serbia. Markovic turns 20 on July 12.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Needs: Cleveland doesn’t have many roster holes, but it does have a need for a big body in the middle to add depth. The Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen and NBA defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, but not much else when it comes to someone with size and who can be physical in the paint. That need was apparent during their second-round playoff loss to Indiana.
Who they drafted: The Cavs used the 49th overall pick on Proctor. They also had the No. 58 selection and took Saliou Niang, a guard from Senegal. Proctor is a good playmaker and shot 40.1% on 3-pointers last season. He could fill a need if the Cavs are unable to re-sign Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, who are unrestricted free agents. The 21-year old Niang is a good defender but needs work on his jumper. He is expected to be with Virtus Bologna in the Euroleague next season.
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AP sports writers Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Joe Reedy and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
