With the Eastern Conference in flux and several playoff spots perhaps up for grabs, Chicago should consider drafting NBA-ready players rather than raw prospects with upside.
Maybe that goes against the general school of thought for teams in the rebuild stage or, in the Bulls' case, "rebuild", but sometimes it's wise to hit the accelerator. For a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since 2021 and has spent the last three seasons stuck in the mediocrity mud, it's worth having a go at the four or five seed and seeing what happens.
The Indiana Pacers, for example, were the fourth seed in the East entering this year's playoffs and are now scorching hot and two wins away from an NBA championship.
Stranger things can, have, and will happen. However, for such unusual events to occur in the Windy City, Chicago will need to enter 2025-26 with a roster ready to compete, not one full of latent potential.
Chicago Bulls can leap into contention by drafting NBA-ready players
One-and-done prospects will always be the rage in NBA front offices. Talented players young enough to mold and develop and have the potential to become franchise centerpieces certainly have their allure. But in the right situation, veteran, experienced prospects ready to contribute immediately can take a team from playoff hopeful to playoff mainstay.
The Bulls, who already have one of the greenest rosters in the league with 11 players age-25 or younger [including a "big three" of Matas Buzelis (20), Josh Giddey (22) and Coby White (25)] have been one win away from a playoff spot each of the last three seasons.
Rather than adding a pair of high-potential, raw prospects with its two draft selections, Chicago could do well to draft older players who can fill gaps that need to be filled.
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner played five collegiate seasons. He's a known commodity as a 23-year-old interior presence and an emerging shooting touch. Stanford big man Maxime Reynaud is similar, but a more talented and versatile scorer.
Walter Clayton Jr. is a 22-year-old shot-making point guard entering the draft fresh off winning an NCAA title. Adou Thiero is barely 21 but played three years of high-level college basketball.
Forward Collin Murray-Boyles spent two seasons in the SEC and would help the Bulls as a burly rim defender, interior scorer and connective passer. Wing Cedric Coward has all the tools to succeed immediately as a knockdown shooter and solid defender. Both of those players could split the gap as NBA-ready prospects with untapped upside.
The Boston Celtics' roster could look drastically different next year. The Cleveland Cavaliers could move Darius Garland. Even if Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee, the Bucks will be without Damian Lillard. The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, who finished the season just ahead of Chicago in the standings, have their own question marks heading into 2025-26.
If the Bulls can add a pair of immediate rotation players via the draft, they could go from Play-In constant to playoff perpetrators.