With the Chicago Bulls season officially over and the NBA Playoffs already underway, the next important date for the franchise is the NBA Draft Lottery, which occurs on May 12. This will determine the draft order for the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Bulls will have their draft pick, something that could not be said a year ago. Now that the Nikola Vucevic trade dust has settled, Chicago has the right to its selection regardless of where it lands. In what many call the weakest draft class in years, it most likely won't add a difference-maker to a mediocre Bulls roster. Where do they sit, and how likely is a top-four pick?
Middle Of The Pack, Again
The Bulls have only had one top-five draft pick in the last fifteen years. They've also had zero NBA Finals appearances, only one Eastern Conference Finals showing during that time, including only one postseason victory in the last seven seasons, missing the playoffs in six of the previous seven campaigns. The definition of mediocrity, Arturas Karnisovas and the front office need to decide whether a full-blown tank or championship push will occur.
With rumors already swirling that DeMar DeRozan and Chicago have mutual interest regarding his return this summer and Vucevic locked up for the next several seasons, along with Zach LaVine's contract running for three additional seasons, one of the trio is nearly guaranteed to be dealt this offseason. LaVine has the most challenging contract to move, but it would be the most helpful to dump. Since his arrival seven seasons ago, the Bulls have made one playoff appearance, got beat 4-1 in the first round, and haven't seen any postseason action since. He's also only played in 374 of the possible 574 due to various injuries, or 65%.
2024 NBA Draft Positioning
Again, finding themselves in that Play-In Tournament loss pool of teams, the Bulls currently sit in the 11th slot, meaning a traditional draft would see them selecting just outside the top ten. With the NBA's lottery system, they hold a 9.4% chance to land in the top four and a shot in the dark 2% chance of the number one overall selection. Without a consensus number-one pick this year and no heavy hitters near the top of the draft, it doesn't hurt Chicago much to miss out on the top four.
In a summer that will undoubtedly feature at least one roster-altering move, their first crack at it comes in a few weeks. Indeed, Karnisovas's team will not solely depend on a mid-level draft selection to change the franchise's trajectory, but it will narrow down who they'll be keying in on leading into draft night. This will give a better idea of what they'll add to a relatively young roster aside from the star power of DeRozan, Vucevic, and LaVine.
Who do you want to see Chicago go after in the 2024 NBA Draft, and which combination of the "big three" do you want to see gone this offseason?
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