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The mock draft would see Ace Bailey fall to the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls hold the 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. As a rebuilding team, the Bulls will face the dilemma of whether to select the best talent available or the player who best fits their system.

However, in a recent mock draft from The Athletic’s Zach Harper, the Bulls find themselves in a “can’t lose” situation. Harper envisions Ace Bailey potentially falling in the lottery due to his 6-foot-7 size, when everyone considered him to be a 6-foot-10 prospect.

“There are some draft nights in which a player falls for odd reasons, and it invites some very intriguing chaos,” Harper wrote. “We saw it with Cam Whitmore falling to the Rockets at No. 20 in 2023. I’m wondering if Bailey measuring at 6-7 1/2 without shoes after everybody thought he was 6-10 at Rutgers is going to impact his draft stock. It very well could. Enough to fall all the way down here? That seems dramatic, but I could see him taking a bit of a dive if a team like the Sixers isn’t sold on him helping it win now, or if Charlotte or Washington believe he doesn’t fit with their wings. He projects now as a wing rather than a 6-10 scoring forward. It doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but it could be.”

Bailey would instantly find a big role within Billy Donovan’s rotation. The need for a wing is what has led to countless Jonathan Kuminga trade proposals in recent weeks. Bailey’s raw skill and star-level potential would be a strong fit next to Josh Giddey and Coby White.

Bulls Could be Ambitious With Kuminga Pursuit

If Bailey doesn’t fall to the Bulls, which is the most likely outcome, then Chicago could still pursue the opportunity to add a future-proof wing talent. According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, if the Bulls decide to be ambitious, then Kuminga must be their target.

“Base-year compensation rules make a sign-and-trade involving a restricted free agent like Jonathan Kuminga ambitious,” Hughes wrote. “The logistics—Kuminga counts as his full new salary coming in but only half going out—are prohibitive…At the very least, Kuminga’s elite athleticism, self-creation and free-throw-drawing prowess could balance out some of Giddey’s deficiencies. Since we have to assume the Bulls aren’t going to tear their roster down any time soon, prioritizing players in their early 20s would at least offer some upside in their annual pursuit of 42 wins.”

Kuminga could be available from the Golden State Warriors at the right price. His inability to secure a legitimate role in Steve Kerr’s rotation proves that there’s a potential pathway to prying him out of the Bay Area.

Steve Kerr Can’t Guarantee Kuminga a Key Role

One thing that Chicago could offer Kuminga is a starring role within the rotation. That’s something Kerr can’t put on the table. In a May 21 appearance on “The TK Show” podcast with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Warriors head coach admitted that Kuminga is unlikely to be a top player in Golden State’s current rotation.

“All I do is I coach the team every year and try to put the puzzle together the best I can,” Kerr said. “I’ve, you know, it’s a tricky one because Jonathan obviously is gifted and wants to play a bigger role and wants to play more. And, I’ve been asked to win. Right now, he’s not a guy who I can say that I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have.”

Kerr continued.

“…Doesn’t mean he’s not a really good player. Doesn’t mean he’s not talented. It just means the fit. And with the roster that we have, it’s tricky…We can talk about spacing, usage rate, and all that stuff. But the game is about puzzle fitting. It’s about five guys complimenting one another at both ends of the floor. So all I do is, you know, I try to win.”

Chicago could easily position Kuminga as their starting forward. However, they will face a challenge is prying him away from his current situation. Golden State may lean toward re-signing him this summer and flipping him for a premium down the line.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor