NBA Draft 2018: Which players are heading to the best situations?

PF/C Wendell Carter Jr., Chicago Bulls – Round 1, Pick 7

Carter’s production during his lone season at Duke went largely under the radar because he played next to Marvin Bagley, but he was a dominant big man in his own right for the Blue Devils.

The 6-foot-10, 260-pounder is a force down low, recording over nine rebounds and two blocks per game as a freshman. Carter also already has a reliable post game, is comfortable playing with his back to the basket, and is a good passer.

Chicago already had one of their long-term pieces in the frontcourt in Lauri Markkanen, the No. 7 overall pick in last year’s draft, but he prefers to play on the perimeter. Carter represents the perfect pair for Markkanen as that physical big that can handle his work down low.

That extra spacing is something that Carter thinks will allow him to be even more effective in the NBA than he was in college.

“I think even my teammates, all my teammates weren’t able to show all their strengths,’’ Carter said during the pre-draft process when asked about playing next to Bagley. “That’s just the college life. You buy into whatever college you go to, and you do whatever you got to do to help the team win. I think – not even speaking for myself but all my teammates – we’re going to be able to show a lot more that we can do at the next level with spacing on the floor.

“Frankly, it’s the NBA. It’s one-on-one, it’s not no zone like we were playing. There’s a lot more space on the floor.’’

And he’s right. With more room to operate in the areas of the floor where he’s most comfortable, Carter should flourish.