At the NBA Draft Lottery held in the Windy City on Monday, the Chicago Bulls were hoping for a hometown miracle, but it didn’t come to pass. The Bulls had a 1.7% probability of obtaining the top overall pick going into the game. The Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8% chance, ended up with the first choice, which was rather unpleasant even though expectations weren’t high. Even worse, the Mavericks advanced after winning a coin toss with the Bulls. The Bulls might have received the first overall pick if the coin had turned the other way.
Landing Cooper Flagg would radically transform the picture for the Bulls, but alas, the team acquired the 12th overall pick. Chicago will still be able to grab a really talented player with that choice, but that guy won’t be Flagg.
The Bulls have lost in the NBA play-in tournament three years in a row now, and the fan base is desperate for change. The franchise has been hesistant to make any huge moves or tank for a better draft pick, so Chicago has been stuck in an awkward middleground. The process will undoubtedly move more quickly with the addition of more youthful talent, so this 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is significant.
The 2025 NBA Draft, which will be held on June 25 at the Barclays Center in New York, is just under a month and a half away. Here are some names that could be called when Chicago’s time to make a selection comes around. The Bulls have some time to research their alternatives.