The Chicago Bulls need some length, athleticism, and defensive versatility in the 2025 NBA Draft, and based on their pre-draft workouts, it appears that's what they're wisely targeting.
VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and General Manager Marc Eversley need to rehab what was one of the worst defenses in the league last season. Chicago finished the regular season sixth in points per game, but the Bulls were so bad defensively that they still finished with a negative point differential (-1.6).
They scored more than 50 points per game in the paint, but again ended the year with a negative point differential after allowing teams to score a league-worst 54.0 ppg near the basket. They were 18th in total blocks and 24th in total steals. There's a lot Karnisovas and Eversley need to fix.
It's clear they plan to attack that weakness through the draft based on the prospects they've worked out.
Bulls seem to recognize they need long, athletic, switchable players
Chicago has had official workouts with at least nine prospects, per USA Today. They include:
- G John Blackwell (returned to Wisconsin)
- F Mohamed Diawara (France): Measured 6-foot-9 in shoes, 223 pounds, 7-foot-3 ¾ wingspan, 9-foot-2 ¼ standing reach at the 2024 Adidas Eurocamp according to NBADraft.net.
- F Juwan Gary, Nebraska: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, averaged 1.9 stocks each of his last three years in college.
- F Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State: 6-foot-9, 215 pounds, NBA-ready stretch four.
- F CJ Huntley, Appalachian State: 6-foot-10, 190 pounds, averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, 1.3 stocks as a senior
- G Drake Powell, North Carolina: 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, most athletic prospect at NBA combine
- F Asa Newell, Georgia: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, athletic interior presence with upside
- G Miles Kelly, Auburn: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, shot 38 percent from three, 91 percent from the free-throw line and averaged 1.0 steals
The Bulls also worked out guard Mark Sears, an experienced, steady, hard-nosed point guard who was a leader for several good Alabama teams. But Chicago clearly has an archetype in mind this offseason: No one on that list is shorter than 6-foot-6, almost all of them are long and/or strong and most are experienced college players.
Whether Chicago drafts someone like Powell or Newell in the first round or snags one of the several other prospects as undrafted free agents, it's plain to see what Karnisovas and Eversley are trying to do. And it's the right call.