Pick No. 15 — The Center Of Attention
Given their long-standing desire to upgrade at center, there’s no doubt that there are at least three lottery-caliber big men they’re considering: Michigan junior Aday Mara, Houston freshman Chris Cenac Jr., and Washington freshman Hannes Steinbach.
Many look at Mara due to his blend of length, passing ability and shot-blocking. Yet, for those who followed him closely since his time in Spain, there should be legitimate concern about how quickly he can adjust to NBA competition. It took him until his junior season in college to look remotely like the player he was expected to be when he came stateside. Is it worth it to draft a player top-five who may not look NBA-ready until he’s halfway through his rookie contract?
Cenac, a rebounding machine and floor-spacer, appears to be a more worthwhile option. Not only does he have an elite combination of size (6-foot-10, 240 pounds, 7-foot-5 wingspan) and lateral agility, he’s almost two full years younger than Mara. For a team that’s openly imitating a rebuild, that’s significant. Notably, where Mara only played 25+ minutes in nine regular season games in 2025-26, Cenac did so in 18, which speaks to the difference in their physical conditioning.
Steinbach is a double-double factory with defensive upside and can theoretically stretch the floor. He’s about the same size as Cenac (though about eight pounds heavier) and much more athletic than Mara. To that point, while Mara posted a combine-low 28.0-inch max vertical, Steinbach’s max vertical was 35.5 inches, which was tied with various guards. Perhaps just as importantly, he played 34.6 minutes per game in college, leaving no concerns about his conditioning.
For the Bulls, either Cenac or Steinbach would be a solid choice, though Cenac appears to have a higher defensive ceiling.
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