The Denver Nuggets had drafted perhaps the best shooter available in Creighton's Doug McDermott, the combo forward with a big-time shooting stroke, at No. 11 overall, but they quickly traded him to the Chicago Bulls for the Nos. 16 and 19 picks in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Bulls acquire Doug McDermott in trade with Denver Nuggets
One of college basketball’s all-time leading scorers is teaming up with Derrick Rose in Chicago after getting traded to the Chicago Bulls from the Denver Nuggets.
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McDermott enjoyed a prolific college career at Creighton, scoring at least 22.9 points per game in his final three seasons. The sharpshooter capped things off by averaging 26.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in his senior season, leading Creighton to a 27-8 record and earning National Player of the Year honors.
NBA Draft
McDermott was a brutally efficient scorer the moment he stepped foot on Creighton’s campus. The 6’8 forward shot over 52 percent in all four seasons, and he also shot over 40 percent from three all four years. That includes two years around 49 percent from deep.
There are questions about what position McDermott will play in the pros. He could flourish as a stretch 4 offensively, but he may struggle defending some of the bigger power forwards in the NBA. Likewise, the 22-year-old could have issues guarding some of the more athletic wings as a 3.
With the Bulls, McDermott seems to fill the hole Chicago has had since Kyle Korver left. He’s a dead-eye shooter and brings instant offense to the team that has been woefully bereft of it for two years with Derrick Rose on the shelf. He likely won’t start -- that will depend on what happens in free agency -- but his range is NBA ready.
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