The Chicago Bulls are an uncommonly tricky team to peg when it comes to 2025 NBA Draft projections. Depending on how the rest of the regular season plays out, the team could land anywhere from No. 9 or 10 in the lottery standings to out of the lottery altogether. (Keep in mind the Bulls are 8-2 in their last 10 games and are climbing the Eastern Conference standings.)
The arguments over which outcome is better—the chance at another high-level prospect versus the benefits of some postseason seasoning for what's becoming an increasingly bright young core—still skew toward the former, but as Josh Giddey, Coby White and Matas Buzelis continue to improve, it's becoming a more nuanced debate.
Regardless, the importance of Chicago's front office hitting on the majority of its draft picks over the next few seasons will likely be the deciding factor between this up-and-coming plucky squad and a true championship contender.
To that end, here's a gathering of a few of the latest mock drafts from across the media landscape.
Bulls make intriguing selections in recent 2025 NBA Mock Drafts
The consensus is that Chicago will grab a forward/center with its first-round pick, regardless of where it lands. As Giddey and White morph into one of the league's most explosive offensive backcourts and Buzelis becomes a versatile threat on both ends, replacing Nikola Vucevic and Zach Collins seems logical.
Which archetype of big man the Bulls prefer, however, is the debate.
Tankathon and Bleacher Report: Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Besides his Duke teammate Cooper Flagg, Maluach may be the most ideal prospect for Chicago to nab in this summer's draft.
At 7-foot-2 and 260 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan (and a standing reach taller than Victor Wembanyama's), Maluach is a ready-made rim-runner and lob threat, whether it's as a role man or from the dunker's spot. His defensive IQ hasn't caught up to his physical abilities—he didn't pick up a basketball until he was 15—but he's still a rim-deterrent if not yet an all-out shot blocker.
Maluach is one of the most agile and athletic center prospects in the country. His length and movement skills allow him to switch onto guards on the perimeter but recover quickly enough to help protect the paint.
He could be a massive lob threat for Giddey, who's become one of the best passers in the NBA, while covering for the Bulls' defensively deficient guards on the other end.
The Athletic: Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Derik Queen is one of the most unique draft prospects of the last few seasons. His size—6-foot-10, 250 pounds—fits that of a typical center. His game couldn't be any further from it.
Queen handles the ball like a guard and moves like a wing. The 19-year-old averaged 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 35 starts for a Maryland team that's been one of the best in the country and is still alive in the Sweet 16 (thanks to Queen's heroics).
DERIK QUEEN. MARCH. CINEMA.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 24, 2025
MARYLAND BEATS COLORADO ST. AT THE BUZZER TO HEAD TO THE SWEET 16 🍿
(via @MarchMadnessMBB) pic.twitter.com/wpUElsOgqJ
He's a sight to behold as a clutch scorer and playmaker. Queen's seemingly bottomless bag of offensive tricks would translate to the NBA as he develops into a center a team could play through. Adding his skill set to what Giddey and White already possess could make the Bulls near unstoppable on some nights.
He's a major question mark defensively, though, and isn't in the best physical condition. That would certainly present problems for Chicago's current roster, but the potential upside of Queen in head coach Billy Donovan's new system may be too good to pass up if the Bulls think they can correct those parts of his game.