Best player available at No. 16 may not match Chicago Bulls' greatest draft need

The Chicago Bulls and Jimmy Butler may have set a record for widest range of rumors in one day.

One report said Butler was telling the Bulls to send him to Cleveland, then another claimed Butler told the Cavaliers he'd prefer to stay in Chicago.

While Tuesday ended with no news regarding Butler, the Bulls continue to prepare for Thursday's NBA draft. Barring a trade, the Bulls have the No. 16 pick in the first round and No. 38 in the second.

If the Bulls do trade Butler, they'd be looking to add a top-10 pick, but there are a couple of hang-ups with that scenario. Cleveland does not have a top-10 selection, and the Cavs parted ways with general manager David Griffin on Monday.

There is talk Cleveland might try to engage a team such as Phoenix in a three-way trade to get Butler. But would the rebuilding Suns actually give up the No. 4 pick for Kevin Love? Doubtful.

Boston has the No. 3 pick, after trading down from No. 1, but the Bulls don't have much leverage here. The Celtics have a young team, more high draft picks on the way and cap space to add a free agent like Utah's Gordon Hayward this summer. Boston GM Danny Ainge may be in no hurry to make a big trade.

So if the Bulls stand pat and utilize the No. 16 selection, they could look at a variety of positions. The needs that stand out most are another 3-point shooter and an athletic wing who might be able to move into the lineup when Dwyane Wade wraps up his Bulls career.

A couple of good options are Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell and French combo guard Frank Ntilinka, but most mock drafts have those guys going before No. 16.

Here are a few guys who are more likely to be on the board when the Bulls pick:

Justin Jackson, 6-foot-8, SF, North Carolina He was the best player on a team that won the national championship and might have the size to swing over to power forward. He wasn't a great 3-point shooter during his three years in college but did improve to 37 percent as a junior. He's a native of Tomball, Texas, same as Butler.

OG Anunoby, 6-8, F, Indiana If the Bulls want to get more athletic, this could be their guy. Anunoby tore an ACL in January, so he didn't get tested at the pre-draft camp or work out for any teams.

Terrance Ferguson, 6-7, SG, Adelaide Ferguson is a Tulsa native who decided to play professionally in Australia rather than go to college. He's athletic and has a nice shooting stroke but doesn't handle the ball well.

Luke Kennard, 6-6, SG, Duke He seems to be moving up in the mock drafts after averaging 19.5 points and shooting 44 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore. The Bulls aren't the only team seeking a shooter.

T.J. Leaf, 6-10, PF, UCLA He has a chance to be a valued stretch-four, having shot 47 percent from 3-point range during his freshman season.

Justin Patton, 6-11, C, Creighton One of several big men projected to go in the middle of the first round, Patton is a good athlete with a nice shooting touch who could use more bulk.

Jarrett Allen, 6-11, C, Texas Similar to Patton, but likely has more of a defensive upside with his 7-5 wingspan.

John Collins, 6-10, PF, Wake Forest One of the most efficient scorers in college basketball last season. He did most of his damage in the post, though, and may not have the height or strength to do the same in the NBA.

Bam Adebayo, 6-10, C, Kentucky He has some good physical tools, with a vertical leap measured at 38.5 inches, along with a 7-3 wingspan.

Semi Ojeyele, 6-6, F, SMU A 40-inch vertical and he shot 42.4 percent from 3-point last season after transferring from Duke.

Harry Giles, 6-11, PF, Duke A smooth big man who was rated by some the No. 1 player in his high school class. The trouble is, he tore ACLs in both knees during high school and had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee before last season, which is why he didn't play much at Duke.

History of No. 16 overall draft picks in NBA

The Chicago Bulls have the 16th pick in Thursday's NBA draft. Here's a look at past No. 16 draft choices, along with a comment by Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald:

All-time best at No. 16: John Stockton (1984), Hedo Turkoglu (2000), Metta World Peace (1999)

Last 10 years:

2016: Boston, Guerschon Yabuselem, F, France McGraw: Eurostash forward may become future asset for Celtics.

2015: Boston, Terry Rozier, G, Louisville A decent role player who can provide some scoring off bench.

2014: Bulls, Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia Bulls traded Nurkic and SG Gary Harris for Doug McDermott; Nurkic played well after being traded to Portland last season.

2013: Boston, Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil Traded to Toronto, Nogueira has been a staple in the D-League.

2012: Houston, Royce White, F, Iowa State White has played in just 3 NBA games due to an anxiety disorder.

2011: Philadelphia, Nikola Vucevic, C, Switzerland He posted some nice offensive numbers for Orlando.

2010: Minnesota, Luke Babbitt, SF, Nevada Reliable 3-point threat playing low minutes for 3 NBA teams.

2009: Bulls, James Johnson, SF, Wake Forest Didn't stay with Bulls long, but had best season of career in Miami.

2008: Philadelphia, Marreese Speights, C, Florida Decent backup big man won a ring with Golden State.

2007: Washington, Nick Young, SG, USC Erratic shooter with Lakers has become a poor man's J.R. Smith.