2017 NBA Draft: Players who were the biggest winners and losers in the draft

Loser: Lauri Markkanen making up for Jimmy Butler

Lauri Markkanen is an interesting spot. He is a winner in the way that he will be able to get extensive playing time right away for the Chicago Bulls. They are a franchise that seems to be entering a rebuilding phase, and he is the first piece of the puzzle. That is certainly exciting, but it comes with a caveat: Jimmy Butler.

Over the past few years, Chicago fans have become accustomed to star players, whether that be Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler. Rose’s knees went bad and then he was traded to the Knicks, which fans are still somewhat upset with. Then, on draft night, the front office decided to trade fringe top-10 player in the NBA Jimmy Butler in exchange for the #7 overall pick (Markkanen) and two youngsters, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine.

Without a true star on the roster anymore, Bulls’ fans might in turn make Markkanen the guy that needs to fill the void left by Butler. For a young rookie, the expectations might turn out to be incredibly high, making things difficult on Markkanen. The smooth shooting big man will need time to develop into a high-quality NBA player, but will he ever be the star that the Bulls gave up to get him (and more assets)? Probably not.

Next: Live tracking the NBA Draft

When it is all said and done, all that really matters is how these rookies perform on the court. Expectations will come and go, and as long as players become solid options for their teams, most players outside of the top two or three players are not judged based on where they were drafted. There are the players labelled as “busts” or “booms,” but most draft picks end up being just fine, without too much room for criticism based on where they drafted. Hindsight is 20/20, though, just ask the teams that passed on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.