The Jase Richardson and Egor Demin discourse is getting out of hand. Both players are skillful to the ninth degree, yet neither gels with the current iteration of the Chicago Bulls. Of course, an argument can be made that Chicago must draft using a "best player available" strategy instead of filling a much-needed void.
Alternatively, selecting 12th overall in a deep draft class, the Bulls will have their pick of various "best available" and suitable prospects. Demin is essentially a Josh Giddey clone as a 6-foot-9 point forward who struggles to shoot from the perimeter and create his own shot off the dribble. On the other hand, Richardson, a 6-foot-2 combo guard, profiles similarly to Coby White as an off-ball, crafty three-level scorer.
Both prospects tend to fall within the 9-to-15 range, thus being prime candidates for the Bulls to nab if deemed best available. Nonetheless, drafting either of the two, not to mention Illinois' guard Kasparas Jakucionis (likely to be drafted higher), would be ill-advised.
The Bulls' best player available strategy is an ill-advised one
Yet, according to Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson, the Bulls are "not hung up on position, they will draft the best talent available." Prior to the sentiment, Johnson makes a good point, sharing that Chicago's guard rotation will become notably thin following the 2025-26 offseason, when White, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Dalen Terry, and Jevon Carter will enter free agency.
On the flip side, just about everyone besides Giddey, who's likely to sign an extension this offseason, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball, Jalen Smith, and Julian Phillips' contracts will have expired by next season. Therefore, there's not much of a reason, if any, to prepare for the future. Only one of the aforementioned players is a solidified starter (Giddey), while the rest are best suited in bench roles.
The "best available player" approach is a more apt conversation to have a year from now. Identifying an elite wing defender, a combo forward, or a future starting center is the Bulls' best bet in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Selecting 12th overall is a blessing and a curse for Chicago. If the Bulls had been blessed with some lottery luck, Duke center Khaman Maluach may have been a foregone conclusion. However, the 7-foot-2 big man is expected to be drafted somewhere between the sixth and ninth picks, eliminating any hope of the shot-blocking five making his way to the Windy City.
However, several intriguing prospects, such as South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles, Maryland's Derik Queen, Arizona's Carter Bryant, Georgia's Asa Newell, Georgetown's Thomas Sorber, and France's Noa Essengue, all fill positions of need for the Bulls and figure to be selected in the mid-to-late lottery.
The "best player available" strategy has paid dividends in the past. There's no telling what any NBA team's roster will look like even a year out, thus the previously mentioned strategy has its value. Still, with the future being unknown, the same logic applies. Draft a player who fits, or better yet, one that can fit multiple roster constructions, not one who requires being surrounded by certain archetypes to find success.