The Chicago Bulls were hoping for a hometown miracle at the NBA Draft Lottery that took place in the Windy City, but it didn't happen. Coming into the night, the Bulls had just a 1.7% chance of landing the first overall pick. Expectations weren't high, but it was a little bit painful when the Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8% chance, did end up landing the first pick. To make matters worse, the Mavericks won a coin toss with the Bulls to move up. If that coin flipped the other way, the Bulls could have had the first overall pick.
Landing Cooper Flagg would completely change the outlook for the Bulls, but alas, the team received the 12th overall pick. Chicago will still be able to land an incredibly talented player with that pick, but that player 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 team has been hesistant to make any big moves or tank for a better draft pick, so Chicago has been stuck in an unfortunate middleground. Adding more young talent will certainly help speed up the process, so this 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is a big one.
There is a little a little under a month before the 2025 NBA Draft as it will take place on June 25th from the Barclays Center in New York. The Bulls have some time to scout their options, and here are a few names that SHOULD NOT be called when it is Chicago's turn to pick.
Nolan Traore, PG, France
In the 2025 NBA Draft, the biggest thing that the Bulls are focusing on is fit. They have a lottery pick, so there are going to be a lot of talented players available. These are all guys that are about to go to the NBA, so it's important to note that all of these players are among the best in the world. Talent-wise, it's hard to go wrong with any of the players that will be available, but the Bulls are trying to build a specific brand of basketball, so they need to make sure they find someone that fits into their longterm plan. Nolan Traore does not.
Nolan Traore is an outstanding international player with a high ceiling, but he is not a player that the Bulls should select in the 2025 NBA Draft. Chicago is not lacking in guard depth at all, and Traore doesn't bring great size or shooting to the table. The 6'3″ point guard shot just 30% from three during his most recent season in France. Traore does not fit into what the Bulls are building.
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Jase Richardson, SG, Michigan State
If the Bulls are going to take a guard with their first pick in the draft, it needs to be a lengthy player that is going to make a big difference on both sides of the court. Jase Richardson had an outstanding freshman season at Michigan State, and he is a terrific shooter, but his size is a bit of a concern of 6'3″. Richardson is projected to be a mid/late first round pick, and there are a lot of teams that could use a player like him. The Bulls are not one of them. They have plenty of guards like him.
Nique Clifford, SG, Colorado State
Nique Clifford does bring better size to the table than the other two players as he stands at 6'6″, but his consistency is a bit of a concern for a team like the Bulls. If the Bulls are going to take a guard, it has to be the perfect fit, and it has to be a near guarantee that the player that is going to bring something to the team that their already stacked group of guards don't bring. Clifford doesn't really fit that criteria.
Clifford has improved a lot throughout his college career, but his three-point shooting numbers have been hit or miss. He has had some good seasons, but he has also had some subpar ones. His last two have been strong at 37%, but earlier in his career we saw him go up and down a bit. It's also reasonable to expect that 37% to drop once he gets to the pros, too. Clifford has put together some nice seasons at Colorado State, but he isn't worth the risk.
Drafting a guard is not off the table for the Bulls, but it's unlikely. If the right fit falls to #12, then it can happen, but the Bulls will likely go for a player that has good size and can play both ends of the floor at an elite level. The team will likely trade Nikola Vucevic this offseason, and that is why size is such a big factor.
