The Chicago Bulls were hoping for a hometown miracle at Monday’s 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 and a half 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 could be called when it is Chicago’s turn to pick.
Egor Demin, PG/SG, BYU
ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Brett Siegel has the Bulls selecting Egor Demin from BYU in his NBA mock draft. The 6’9″ star from Moscow, Russia spent just one season with the BYU basketball team, and he is ready to go pro. His big frame mixed with elite athleticism makes him a very attractive NBA Draft prospect, and he would fit in well with the Bulls.
This past season at BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game. He didn’t light up the box score, but he did everything well and was a terrific facilitator for the Cougars on offense.
Danny Wolf, C, Michigan
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Danny Wolf is listed as a center, but he was a 7’0″ point guard at times for the Michigan basketball team last season. Wolf lacked consistency at times during conference play, but he possesses every trait that NBA scouts are looking for. He has elite vision, great size, he can shoot, he’s athletic, etc. Wolf brings everything to the table, and if he finds more consistency at the next level, he will be a great player.
Last season, Wolf averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 3.6 APG. He shot 33.6% from three and was a big reason why the Wolverines made a run to the Sweet 16. Not a lot of teams have an answer for a seven-footer with his athleticism.
Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
Could the Chicago Bulls keep Kasparas Jakucionis in the Prairie State? Jakucionis spent just one season with the Fighting Illini, and he was one of the most intriguing players in the Big Ten. He has good size at 6’6″, and he can really do it all on the floor. One area that Jakuncionis could improve in is his three-point shooting, but he was still a major weapon offensively while shooting 31.8% from deep.
Jakucionis averaged 15 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 4.7 APG last season for the Fighting Illini. The Bulls selected former Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu in the NBA Draft a few years ago, and Jakucionis is another talented weapon that was developed by Brad Underwood.
All three of these guys could potentially be available at pick #12. Egor Demin and Kasparas Jakucionis are projected to be taken near the beginning or middle of the first round, and Danny Wolf is more toward the middle/end.
