One of the NBA's most storied franchises just suffered one of the toughest losses off the court. The Chicago Bulls were among the biggest losers in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
Coming into the Draft Lottery, the Bulls were tied with the Dallas Mavericks in terms of record. But little did they know a simple coin flip would have made all the difference between getting the No.1 overall pick and a chance to take Duke phenom Cooper Flagg.
The Mavericks ended up landing the No.1 overall pick, while the Bulls ended up with the 12th overall pick.
The Chicago Bulls are stuck in no mans land after losing NBA Draft Lottery
After being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the playoffs, the Bulls find themselves in the worst place any team can be in the NBA: no man's land.
They're not good enough to make a deep playoff push, but it's not bad enough to rebuild. They traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings during the trade deadline last season, seemingly with the intention of tanking their season. However, they played relatively well down the stretch during the 2024-25 season, ultimately earning a postseason bid.
Their young stars like Coby White and Josh Giddey, the latter of whom had a breakout season, played well down the stretch. However, it's clear that neither of the two could be a franchise cornerstone to build the team around.
That void could have been filled with Flagg, who seems destined to be a generational talent in the NBA. The Bulls narrowly missed the No.1 pick in the draft lottery. Flagg would be joining a Mavericks team, for better or worse, with a loaded roster, highlighted by All-Stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Meanwhile, the Bulls have a way forward. Giddey has shown a glimpse of growth this season, and Nikola Vučević is still a quality offensive big man; it seems there are glimmers of hope in Chicago. But it's hard not to think how different things might look if Flagg were heading to the Windy City.