The Chicago Bulls lost a coin flip with the Dallas Mavericks for the 11th-best odds in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. The rest is history. Cooper Flagg will walk across the stage and don a Mavericks cap in less than a month. Chicago will be searching through the weeds for a franchise-redefining talent with the No. 12 pick.
It's hard to express much faith in this Bulls front office. Reports of interest in a prospect like BYU's Egor Demin, who is possibly the most Josh Giddey-coded prospect since Josh Giddey, are a worrisome sign. Especially when the Bulls are about to break the bank for Giddey after a successful campaign spent toiling in mediocrity.
The draft really opens up after the top eight or so, which means Chicago can go a number of directions in the 12th hole. That is either a good or bad thing, depending on the quality of your front office. In Chicago's case... it ain't great.
Let's see whom the experts peg as potential Bulls targets in the first round, as well as with the 45th pick in the second round.
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Bulls projected picks at No. 12
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN — Derik Queen, C, Maryland
This feels like great value for Chicago. Derik Queen was a hero for Maryland in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. While he doesn't present a clean and simple roadmap to NBA success, it's hard to find bigs with Queen's blend of strength, agility and basketball IQ. He's a bold, visionary passer, a balletic post scorer, and enough of a shooter to be confident in him as a long-term floor spacer at the five spot. From Woo: "(Queen's) proponents around the league see an intelligent player whose potential is high."
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report — Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
The Bulls frontcourt is basically a nothingburger outside of Vucevic, with the possible exception of breakout rookie Matas Buzelis, who profiles as more of a wing than a true forward. Collin Murray-Boyles was stuck on a bad South Carolina team, but he was one of the most productive and impactful two-way stars in college basketball, with active hands, impressive versatility on defense, and a dynamic interior scoring package. He's 6-foot-7 and he can't shoot, but those with eyes to see understand his potential. CMB is a top-five prospect in my book, so this is a home run for the Bulls — although I am skeptical, given Chicago's long-running inability to hit home runs.
Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo — Drake Powell, F, North Carolina
This is a huge swing. Drake Powell largely underwhelmed at North Carolina and he's widely pitched as a late first or early second-round pick. The Bulls have never been averse to an ill-advised gamble, but Powell at No. 12 feels a smidge ambitious — even if his outlier physical tools and athleticism does give him a path toward delivering on such a high selection. Powell will defend like hell at the next level, but can he score? That is the question Chicago and other interest teams much answer. Of note, Powell did "worked out for the Bulls this week," per O'Connor, so there's a connection.
Danny Chau and J. Kyle Mann, The Ringer — Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
Jase Richardson will have his skeptics as a 6-foot guard barefoot, but his long arms, stout frame and underrated athleticism should help him at least passably defend his position. This is another good value pick for Chicago in my book, although the Bulls' backcourt is a bit dense. Richardson and Coby White overlap a fair amount, so Chicago might need to reshuffle the deck. A volume shooter and heady off-ball scoring guard next to Josh Giddey makes sense on paper, though.
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic — Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
Carter Bryant occupied a niche role for Arizona as a freshman, but his overwhelming physical tools shone through and put him squarely in the lottery conversation. The Bulls need wing depth, and Bryant has the potential to emerge as one of the best defenders from this draft. The offense is a work in progress, but he hit 37.1 percent of his 3s last season and he can hit rhyhtm jumpers from mid-range, so the foundation is strong.
FanSided — Derik Queen, C, Maryland
I've got a bad feeling Derik Queen will fall further than he should after a middling performance at the NBA Combine. The defensive concerns are real, but Billy Donovan teams often play above their means on that end, and Queen's offensive brilliance more than makes up for it. He's the sort of star swing Chicago should be taking at its current juncture.
Bulls projected picks at No. 45
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN — Johni Broome, C, Auburn
Johni Broome will turn 23 as a rookie, but he was the second-best player in college basketball last season behind Cooper Flagg. Athletic concerns be damned, you'd be hard-pressed to find such an accomplished prospect. Broome can space the floor, iso against size mismatches in the post, and block shots at a healthy clip. Great value midway through the second round.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report — Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest
This feels like a very Bullsy pick. Hunter Sallis has been on NBA radars for a while as a talented scoring guard with plus physical tools. He's not very efficient from 3-point range, but Sallis' ability to get downhill and score or facilitate as a driver could lead him to second unit minutes.
Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer — John Tonje, F, Wisconsin
After working his way up the depth chart for four seasons at Colorado State, Tonje went to Missouri, where he struggled to render an impact before an injury cut his campaign short. So he went to Wisconsin as a sixth-year senior and broke out. While he's obviously an older prospect, Tonje's size and shot-making on the wing is enough to project an NBA future. The Bulls desperately need floor-spacing wings with a bit of extra punch, which Tonje is on paper.
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic — Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia
Chicago needs frontcourt depth as Vucevic approaches the end of the road. Rocco Zikarsky is coming off a disappointing season for Brisbane in Australia's NBL, but he's an 18-year-old who measures 7-foot-3 barefoot. That size, mixed with solid rim protection instincts and a wide catch radius, gives him a path to NBA utility.
FanSided — Koby Brea, F, Kentucky
Koby Brea was integral to the new-look Kentucky roster under Mark Pope. While his NBA projection is somewhat limited, he's a 6-foot-7 wing and he buried 43.5 percent of his 3s as a senior. Sometimes all you need is a single outlier trait in the NBA and Brea is a no-doubt elite shooter who could snipe his way into the Bulls rotation eventually.