Cubs News: Getting to Know: Adama Sanogo |
Despite entering the 2023 NBA draft with no picks, the Bulls made the most of that as they traded into the second round to take Julian Phillips, No. 35. That made up for not having a second-round pick after losing it due to tampering, and it was better than where they would have been selecting anyway.
With the draft being only two rounds and several players not coming off the board, the Bulls were hoping to make a splash on the undrafted free-agent market before the beginning of the summer league season. Although the team has only made one addition thus far, it is a promising addition as former UCONN Big man Adama Sanogo has signed with the Bulls via the undrafted free agent market and has been linked to a two-way contract. Given the current situation regarding Nikola Vucevic and his free agency, the Bulls are entering this season without much frontcourt depth, which was an issue for them last season. Granted, Andre Drummond exercised his player option, but after playing sparingly at best last season, you have to wonder if he would be the starter if Vucevic isn't brought back. Behind Drummond is where things get murky, as Marko Simonovic is the next best option. However, after playing in less than 15 NBA games across three seasons, you have to wonder what Simonovic can bring to the table if anything, should they need him to expand on his role. That is where Sanogo comes into play, as he will be given an opportunity to carve out a role on this team. Sanogo is coming off a solid season for the UCONN Huskies, who claimed their fifth National Championship this spring. During their tournament run, Sanogo turned heads as he went on to earn the Final Four MVP honors. His play goes far beyond that, as he proved to be one of the best big men in the nation despite his lack of overall height for the position. At 6-9 and 260 pounds, Sanogo is more of a PF in terms of size, but he did play Center at UCONN. He can hold his own in the paint thanks to his 260 lbs and also pairs his stout frame with some unique offensive talent. Sanogo has high-quality touch around the rim and consistently finds ways to create space and get his shot off down low with expert footwork. You can see that footwork when you look at his college career, as he averaged 13.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG across his three seasons with the Huskies. However, it was his Junior season when he put himself on the map, averaging a career-high 17.2 PPG and a career-high 7.9 RPG. He did that while shooting nearly 65% from the field and 36% from distance. Ideally, you would like someone a little taller to play the Center position, but Sanogo reminds scouts a lot of Ben Wallace with his frame, and you saw how Wallace's career turned out. Given his smaller frame, Sanogo can run the floor, which has helped him sneak up on defenders in transition to make plays. While his jump shot is still developing, he has shown signs of being able to expand his range a bit as he begins his NBA journey. Look for him to continue working on that this summer and then in the G-League next year, as the Bulls believe he can make something happen on this roster. There are undoubtedly concerns about his ability to help protect the rim; he does have the benefit of being a solid presence down low which will help him battle with bigger players. That will not help him overcome his lack of height and overall explosiveness, but it will help him hold his own and make things as difficult as possible for players on the inside. Either way, you look at this, he is an undrafted signing that was viewed to be an early second-round talent. That fact that he went undrafted works in the Bull's favor, as he could be the steal of the undrafted class. This is a player worth taking a flyer on, and hopefully, the Bulls give him a long look before ultimately deciding his overall fate.
