Tyrese Haliburton Should've Been Ours: Re-Picking the 2020 NBA Draft
At next week's NBA Draft, will the Chicago Bulls miss out on the next Haliburton...just like they missed out on the first Haliburton?
THREE THINGS upon which you can rely:
Death.
Taxes.
The Chicago Bulls screwing the pooch at the NBA Draft.
Before you get all defensive — before you’re like, “But Derrick Rose! But Ayo Dosumnu!” — remember that Chicago lucked into both of those guards. Zero skill involved, just some friendly bounces and a few other franchises doing some pooch-screwing of their own.
In 2008, some generous ping pong balls sent Rose back to his hometown; and the primary reason they landed Dosumnu — another Chicago kid — in the second round of the 2021 Draft is the fact that the OKC Thunder thought it was a good idea to grab the legendary Rokas Jokubaitis four picks prior.
Aside from Taj Gibson in 2009 and Jimmy Butler in 2011, the 21st Century hasn’t seen much in the way of quality decision making in the Bulls’ War Room. For that matter, since choosing Butler, they haven’t drafted a single All-Star. Not one.
For tangible proof of the team’s consistent ineffectiveness, here’s who Chicago’s various front offices deemed worthy of first round pick-ness since 2012:
2012: Marquis Teague
Points Per Game: 2.4
Rebounds Per Game: 1.0
Assists Per Game: 1.5
Last known whereabouts: Playing at a University of Kentucky alumni game.
Chicago could have drafted: Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, Jae Crowder
2013: Tony Snell
Points Per Game: 6.3
Rebounds Per Game: 2.4
Assists Per Game: 1.2
Last known whereabouts: On the hunt for a new NBA team.
Chicago could have drafted: Rudy Gobert, Tim Hardaway Jr.
2014: Doug McDermott
Points Per Game: 7.9
Rebounds Per Game: 2.3
Assists Per Game: 1.3
Last known whereabouts: The University of Unrestricted Free Agency.
Chicago could have drafted: Nikola Jokic, Zach Lavine (ironically), Jerami Grant
2015: Bobby Portis
Points Per Game: 11.0
Rebounds Per Game: 7.0
Assists Per Game: 1.4
Last known whereabouts: Doing cool basketball things for the Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago could have drafted: Portis was arguably the best player available.
2016: Denzel Valentine
Points Per Game: 7.0
Rebounds Per Game: 3.1
Assists Per Game: 2.0
Last known whereabouts: Prepping for a stint with the G-League expansion team, the Valley Suns.
Chicago could have drafted: Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray, Malcolm Brogdon, Caris Levert
2017: Lauri Markkanen
Points Per Game: 15.3
Rebounds Per Game: 7.5
Assists Per Game: 1.3
Last known whereabouts: Doing cool basketball things for the Utah Jazz.
Chicago could have drafted: Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White, Jarrett Allen, OG Anunoby
2018: Wendell Carter Jr.
Points Per Game: 11.0
Rebounds Per Game: 8.5
Assists Per Game: 2.0
Last known whereabouts: Doing cool basketball things for the Orlando Magic.
Chicago could have drafted: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson
2019: Coby White
Points Per Game: 12.6
Rebounds Per Game: 3.1
Assists Per Game: 3.3
Last known whereabouts: Doing cool basketball things for the Chicago Bulls
Chicago could have drafted: White was arguably the best player available.
2020: Patrick Williams
Points Per Game: 9.2
Rebounds Per Game: 4.3
Assists Per Game: 1.3
Last known whereabouts: The University of Restricted Free Agency.
Chicago could have drafted: Like 11 or 12 different dudes. See below.
2022: Dalen Terry
Points Per Game: 3.1
Rebounds Per Game: 1.4
Assists Per Game: 1.0
Last known whereabouts: Struggling to crack the Chicago Bulls’ rotation.
Chicago could have drafted: Walker Kessler, Andrew Nembhard, Christian Braun
Only twice in any of the above 10 Drafts did the Bulls get it right, giving them a positively White Sox-ian batting average of .200.
The most egregious misfire went down in 2020, when Chicago had the fourth pick, a pick they used on Williams, a shy 19-year-old with an overly kind demeanor and no significant experience as a college starter — not the kind of guy you’d want at four.
I can’t go deeper on Williams. It’s too painful. Especially after watching Tyrese Haliburton do Tyrese Haliburton things for the last month.
Anyhoobs, here’s how the 2020 Draft would have looked if Chicago’s personnel peeps — and, for that matter, a goodly number of the NBA’s other personnel peeps — were 27% better at their jobs:
1) Minnesota Timberwolves
ORIGINAL PICK: Anthony Edwards
REDRAFT: Anthony Edwards
BUT, WHY?
This may be recency bias — the Ant Man had some magical moments this postseason — but Edwards looks like one of the two players in the 2020 Draft who could someday be in the Hall of Fame conversation.
2) Golden State Warriors
ORIGINAL PICK: James Wiseman
REDRAFT: Tyrese Haliburton
BUT, WHY?
Here’s your other potential Hall of Famer. Imagine the former Iowa State star playing alongside Steph Curry. Considerably better than Wiseman playing alongside, well, anybody.
3) Charlotte Hornets
ORIGINAL PICK: LaMelo Ball
REDRAFT: Tyrese Maxey
BUT, WHY?
A Maxey vs. LaMelo Ball argument could lead to a barroom brawl, but based on what we know today, Tyrese M. should always have the edge over Ball because, generally speaking, Maxey’s a healthier fella.
4) Chicago Bulls
ORIGINAL PICK: Patrick Williams
REDRAFT: LaMelo Ball
BUT, WHY?
Winner of the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year, a healthy Ball would have exponentially changed this franchise’s fortunes. A foundational piece who’d light up the United Center, an often depressing barn in sore need of light.
5) Cleveland Cavaliers
ORIGINAL PICK: Isaac Okoro
REDRAFT: Immanuel Quickley
BUT, WHY?
Okoro is a fantastic guy to have in the building, the prototypical 3-and-D wing — but you don’t want to grab 3-and-D wing with the fifth pick. Quickley, on the other hand, is a scoring machine, and considering the limited firepower in this Draft class, the five spot feels about right.
6) Atlanta Hawks
ORIGINAL PICK: Onyeka Okongwu
REDRAFT: Devin Vassel
BUT, WHY?
I love, love, love Vassel’s game. The skilled combo guard is good now, and he’s going to keep getting better. A Trae Young/Devin Vassel backcourt would’ve been scary af.
7) Detroit Pistons
ORIGINAL PICK: Killian Hayes
REDRAFT: Deni Avdija
BUT, WHY?
In this thought exercise, Hayes drops into the second round, proper placement for the disappointing French guard. (Choosing him in the middle of the lottery was classic Pistons, amirite?) Had Detroit landed Avdija, they likely wouldn’t always be in the NBA’s bottom five. Maybe.
8) New York Knicks
ORIGINAL PICK: Obi Toppin
REDRAFT: Desmond Bane
BUT, WHY?
Front offices across the Association can be forgiven for letting Bane slip to the last pick in the first round, as the guard didn’t exactly light it up in his four years at TCU. But come his pro tenure, Dez evolved into a deadly outside gunner who would’ve looked lovely in a Knicks uni.
9) Washington Wizards
ORIGINAL PICK: Deni Avdja
REDRAFT: Tre Jones
BUT, WHY?
How Jones fell to the second round is beyond me. He has a Duke pedigree, his second and final year in Durham was solid (16.2 PPG, 6.4 APG), and he’s not that undersized. Jones looks like he’ll be a reliable fourth or fifth for years to come.
10) Phoenix Suns
ORIGINAL PICK: Jalen Smith
REDRAFT: Aaron Nesmith
BUT, WHY?
Nesmith isn’t a needle-mover, but he’s a solid rotational entity who would have fit nicely alongside Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton.
11) San Antonio Spurs
ORIGINAL PICK: Devin Vassel
REDRAFT: Josh Green
BUT, WHY?
Gut feeling: The University of Arizona product could be a serious breakout candidate.
12) Sacramento Kings
ORIGINAL PICK: Tyrese Haliburton
REDRAFT: Isaac Okoro
BUT, WHY?
This is where you pick your quality 3-and-Ds…
13) New Orleans Pelicans
ORIGINAL PICK: Kira Lewis Jr.
REDRAFT: Patrick Williams
BUT, WHY?
…and this is where you pick your Patrick Williamses.
14) Boston Celtics
ORIGINAL PICK: Aaron Nesmith
REDRAFT: Payton Pritchard
BUT, WHY?
When Damian Lillard retires, Pritchard becomes the league’s King of the Midcourt Shot. He’s a straight-up pain in the backside on both sides of the floor, and should have been chosen well before 26.
15) Orlando Magic
ORIGINAL PICK: Cole Anthony
REDRAFT: Cole Anthony
BUT, WHY?
Anthony is the 2020 Draft’s perfect mid-first pick. He’s good but not great; he’s somewhat developed, yet still has potential to grow; and he went to a team in need of backcourt help. Made sense then, makes sense now.
16) Portland Trail Blazers
ORIGINAL PICK: Isaiah Stewart
REDRAFT: Obi Toppin
BUT, WHY?
Coming into this Draft, Toppin was considered to be the class’ best athlete. Coming out of the 2020-21 season, Toppin was considered to be an inconsistent sixth- or seventh-man. His performance in the 2025 Finals gives one hope, but in a better Draft, he’d have landed about six or seven picks lower than this.
17) Minnesota Timberwolves
ORIGINAL PICK: Aleksej Pokusevski
REDRAFT: Sam Merrill
BUT, WHY?
Merrill, who was final pick of the second round, is far from Mr. Irrelevant. Sure, his alma mater Utah State isn’t a breeding place for pro hoopers — Talen Horton-Tucker is the most notable Aggie currently on an NBA roster — so scouts took his career 16.0 PPG with a grain of salt. They shouldn’t have.
18) Dallas Mavericks
ORIGINAL PICK: Josh Green
REDRAFT: Isaiah Stewart
BUT, WHY?
A frontline beast who plays even thicker than his thick 6’8” frame, the ex-Washington Husky would’ve thrived as ex-Mav Luka Doncic’s right-hand big.
19) Brooklyn Nets
ORIGINAL PICK: Saddiq Bey
REDRAFT: Jalen Smith
BUT, WHY?
Smith hasn’t set the world on fire, but that’s possibly because he hasn’t been given the chance. His per-36 numbers from this past season had him averaging a 20-and-11 double-double, so when he start getting consistent minutes, look out.
20) Miami Heat
ORIGINAL PICK: Precious Achiuwa
REDRAFT: Saddiq Bey
BUT, WHY?
Bey is a fine player. Not an All-Star. Not a scrub. Just fine. But the Heat culture might have turned him into a legit third option. This could’ve been the steal of the Draft.
21) Philadelphia 76ers
ORIGINAL PICK: Tyrese Maxey
REDRAFT: Jaden McDaniels
BUT, WHY?
The 2019-20 Sixers didn’t have an impressive collection of power forwards — we’re talking Tobias Harris and Mike Scott, neither of whom are what you’d call a defensive specialist. McDaniels, conversely, seems to love defending, so he would’ve been an ideal addition to a team that, thanks to Joel Embiid, was already pretty solid at clamping down opposing bigs.
22) Denver Nuggets
ORIGINAL PICK: Zeke Nnaji
REDRAFT: Precious Achiuwa
BUT, WHY?
Nnaji is a less-than-adequate backup for Nikola Jokic. Achiuwa would’ve been a fantastic backup for Nikola Jokic.
23) New York Knicks
ORIGINAL PICK: Leandro Bolmaro
REDRAFT: Isaiah Joe
BUT, WHY?
Like Jalen Smith, Joe would likely make some noise if given more court time. The 2019-20 Knicks’ shooting guard battalion consisted of a still-raw RJ Barrett and a cast of thousands, so the former Arkansas Razorback would’ve gotten all the burn he could handle.
24) Milwaukee Bucks
ORIGINAL PICK: R.J. Hampton
REDRAFT: Jordan Nwora
BUT, WHY?
In the real version of this Draft, the Bucks snatched up Nwora in the second round at pick 45. Here, they still get their guy and avoid getting stuck with a meh player in R.J. Hampton.
25) Oklahoma City Thunder
ORIGINAL PICK: Immanuel Quickley
REDRAFT: Xavier Tillman Sr.
BUT, WHY?
The 2019-20 Thunder had a three-headed monster in the middle consisting of Steven Adams, Nerlens Noel, and Mike Muscala. Tillman would’ve allowed them to jettison two of them, if not the entire trio.
26) Boston Celtics
ORIGINAL PICK: Payton Pritchard
REDRAFT: Nick Richards
BUT, WHY?
The 2019-20 Celtics had a four-headed monster in the middle, none of whom were postseason-caliber. Richards would’ve been backing up Robert Williams — but who knows, Williams might’ve ultimately backed up Richards.
27) Utah Jazz
ORIGINAL PICK: Udoka Azubuike
REDRAFT: Paul Reed
BUT, WHY?
Out in Philly, Reed has been a solid fill-in for Joel Embiid whenever the 2022-23 MVP suffered one of his many injuries — so solid, in fact, that moving him into the first round here makes perfect sense.
28) Los Angeles Lakers
ORIGINAL PICK: Jaden McDaniels
REDRAFT: James Wiseman
BUT, WHY?
The Draft’s biggest faller — and its biggest bust — has the size and athleticism to make him worthy of a first round selection. But just barely.
29) Toronto Raptors
ORIGINAL PICK: Malachi Flynn
REDRAFT: Vit Krejci
BUT, WHY?
It’s baffling how somebody who stands a true 6’8” and boasts a legitimate point guard skill set fell out of the first round.
30) Boston Celtics
ORIGINAL PICK: Desmond Bane
REDRAFT: KJ Martin
BUT, WHY?
The Draft cupboard was relatively bare at this point, so the Celtics would’ve been forced to throw a dart. Ironically, considering the thrust of this article, it wouldn’t be unfair to cite Patrick Williams as Martin’s comp. But unlike Kenyon Martin’s son, Williams had a year of college under his belt, making him more of an appealing prospect than his fellow 19-year-old.
A previous iteration of this article appeared on Chicago Sports Stuff in June of 2024.