Wasn't Mirotic the one picked 23rd?
If so, that just makes Jimmy's current performance that much more impressive.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-butler-mirotic-bulls-spt-0104-20150103-story.htmlFrom the Sunday Tribune ....
Bulls luck in landing two core pieces in 2011 draft residue of design
By K.C. Johnson
Chicago Tribune
Despite owning just late first-round picks, Bulls landed Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic in same 2011 draft. Here's the back story on how the Bulls acquired two core pieces in the same NBA draft
In July 2010, the Bulls were preparing to sign Carlos Boozer as a free agent when the Jazz, Boozer's previous team, asked for a favor.
Allow the Jazz to sign-and-trade Boozer, creating a $13 million trade exception they eventually used to acquire Al Jefferson. The Bulls agreed, asking for a second-round pick as thanks.
Fast forward seven months. Cutting bait on the James Johnson experiment, the Bulls traded their 2009 first-round pick to the Raptors for a 2011 first-round pick.
There are unforeseen ripple effects for almost all professional sports transactions. Nobody ever will know if the Johnson who, after humbling Development League assignments, has become a valuable Raptors' reserve would have panned out for the Bulls. Luol Deng's steady and near-constant presence would seem to say no.
And the Bulls wouldn't have acquired Boozer if they had landed their top target in 2010 free agency — LeBron James.
This much is known for certain: Nikola Mirotic isn't a Bull without the Boozer sign-and-trade boon and the Johnson deal. And the Bulls' 2011 draft is shaping up to be one of the most influential in franchise history.
Think about it: After an NBA-best 62-20 mark and trip to the Eastern Conference finals, most teams would be happy to add a fringe rotational player.
Instead, the Bulls parlayed the second-round pick acquired from the Jazz in the Boozer sign-and-trade, who turned out to be Malcolm Lee; the Raptors' first-round pick from the Johnson trade, which turned out to be Norris Cole at No. 28; and cash to move to No. 23 and acquire Mirotic's draft rights from the Timberwolves.
With their own 30th pick resulting from the league-best record, they drafted Jimmy Butler.
That's quite a double play. One is a starting shooting guard who is the runaway leader for this season's Most Improved Player and even is generating some mild most valuable player buzz. The other is a soon-to-be 24-year-old rookie seasoned from high-level overseas play whose skill level is apparent nearly every time he plays.
"It was like winning a game on a 30-footer at the buzzer," general manager Gar Forman said when asked to recall the feeling in the draft room at the Berto Center that night. "It really was that type of emotion."
Since 2010, here are the other 23rd and 30th picks in the NBA draft: Trevor Booker and Lazar Hayward in 2010; John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli in 2012; Solomon Hill and Nemanja Nedovic in 2013 and Rodney Hood and Kyle Anderson in 2014.
The Bulls, including former director of scouting and now Magic assistant general manager Matt Lloyd, were in on Butler early. Management scouted Butler regularly at Marquette and pegged him to be available in the late first to early second round.
"I had known (then-Marquette coach Buzz Williams) for 25 years and Buzz swore by him," Forman said. "That's not calling to make a background check. That's a personal relationship that's built over time.
"All the adversity (Butler) had to overcome — not being a highly-touted high school guy, going to junior college — showed you what his makeup is. Then when we had him in to work out and went to dinner with him and interviewed him, there was no question he was a perfect fit with the culture we were trying to create."
The Bulls' draft night intelligence led management to believe only one team between the Nos. 24 and 29 picks had serious interest in Butler. Forman wouldn't reveal the team, but now-Clippers coach Doc Rivers said earlier this season the Celtics, who picked MarShon Brooks at No. 25, liked Butler.
Right after maneuvering to trade up for Mirotic, Forman said the Bulls actually made calls to move up again to ensure they would land Butler.
"Things are moving fast on draft night," Forman said. "Once (Butler) got past that team, there was some cheering then. When (pick) 29 came off the board, we were ecstatic."
Far more nervous moments surrounded the Mirotic acquisition.
Ivica Dukan, who Jerry Krause hired as the Bulls' director of international scouting in 1992, stumbled across Mirotic at age 16 while attending a Real Madrid practice to scout another player.
"Duke told us he was a very skilled big," said John Paxson, executive vice president of basketball operations. "And when (he) gets excited about a guy, you pay attention."
Dragan Tarlac and Dalibor Bagaric are international draft picks that didn't pan out.
"Whatever country it's in within Europe, you walk in and everybody knows Duke," Forman said. "He has created such a great network of contacts over there. That gives us a lot of opportunity to really get a lot of background on guys and know them from a really young age and follow their progression."
Mirotic confirmed his strong relationship with Dukan and Dukan's respectful working relationship with Real Madrid officials kept him in the 2011 draft even after he signed a five-year extension with the team in April of that year.
"I saw him a lot at my games," Mirotic said. "He's a great guy, very professional. He helped me a lot on my decision to come to the Bulls. I knew they had interest in me, but you never know what's going to happen in a draft. I was really lucky because Chicago took me and waited for me for three years."
The Bulls were lucky too.
Draft night intelligence confirmed a team in picks Nos. 24-27 would take Mirotic. The Bulls quickly called the Timberwolves, who had just acquired his rights from the Rockets at No. 23.
"We were bidding against somebody," Forman said. "Significant money was being laid out. And that's when (Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf) really stepped up and included a good chunk of money to make that happen."
Now, the Bulls plan to have Butler and Mirotic as core pieces for a long time.
"It was amazing. I was like, 'Those guys really want me,'" Mirotic said. "I was feeling great. But Jimmy at (pick) 30 is crazy because Jimmy right now is probably the MVP of the league."
