The 2025 NBA Draft will kick off at 7 p.m. CT on June 25, which means the Chicago Bulls have about 48 hours from this reporting to make a decision on what to do with their No. 12 pick. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN just released their latest mock draft, which contains some interesting intel about where Chicago may be leaning and which prospects it's most interested in.
Bulls trending in right direction, at least according to reports
Chicago was one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA last season. Head Coach Billy Donovan revamped his team's system and focused on an up-tempo, transition, 3-point heavy scheme that worked in the Bulls' favor. They finished the year sixth in points per game (117.8), third in 3-point attempts (42.0), fifth in assists (29.1), second in pace and first in total possessions.
But even with all that production, Chicago fell short of the playoffs for the third straight season, mostly due to an awful defense that allowed the third-most points per game (121.2) and most points in the paint (54.0).
It takes a special group to be one of the league's highest-scoring offenses and still finish the year with a negative plus/minus (-1.6).
Per Givony and Woo, though, the Bulls seem to be focusing on at least trying to fix that leaky defense with their first-round selection by zeroing in on some intriguing prospects.
Joan Beringer, Thomas Sorber, Danny Wolf, Derik Queen
These four prospects get lumped together as possible answers to Chicago's glaring problems at center. Nikola Vucevic is 35 years old and on an expiring contract; he has no place on the team's current roster, let alone its future. Backup Zach Collins will also be playing on an expiring deal in 2025-26.
Beringer is an extremely raw prospect but one that has extremely rare physical gifts. He measured 6-foot-11 barefoot and 235 pounds with a nearly 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach at the 2025 adidas Eurocamp Combine and started playing basketball just four years ago.
Sorber is a more traditional back-to-the-basket center on offense but has a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a high basketball IQ, which helped him average 2.0 blocks his freshman year at Georgetown.
Queen and Wolf are both offensively focused players, but if Chicago wants to add more scoring and playmaking while also getting bigger, they would make sense.
Cedric Coward
Coward is one of the highest risers of this year's pre-draft process and is reportedly getting a "long look" from the Bulls as well as the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, according to Givony.
The 21-year-old grabbed headlines with his Kawhi Leonard-like measurements at the combine: 6-foot-5 ¼ without shoes and 213 pounds with a 7-foot-2 ¼ wingspan and an 8-foot-10 standing reach. He also shot 39 percent from three over his four college seasons (one in Division III).
Coward has the size, shooting stroke and mentality to develop into a starting-caliber 3-and-D wing in the NBA, or potentially more.
Egor Demin, Kasparas Jakucionis
Demin has repeatedly been linked with the Bulls for weeks and Woo has Jakucionis going to Chicago in he and Givony's mock. The franchise has rumored interest in adding positional size, playmaking and versatility this offseason, and both of these jumbo point guards would fit the bill.
Demin is 6-foot-9 and possibly the best passer in the class. Jakucionis is a few inches shorter but nearly as creative and intelligent and showed more flashes of scoring ability. Both would be value adds to Donovan's offensive scheme.
More news and rumors are likely to come fast and furious over the next few days. Check back for additional updates as they come.