The Brooklyn Nets are armed with five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft and will likely consolidate, an idea that should pique the Bulls' interest. The latest rumor surrounding the Nets and their handful of selections is that they plan to keep their highest, No. 8, which means Chicago could have easier access to their picks later in the opening round.
Brooklyn owns the Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26 and 27 overall picks heading into tonight's draft. The Bulls have one first rounder, No. 12.
A deal between Chicago and the Nets would give Bulls VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas some more ammo to add the right pieces to a roster that needs quite a bit of boosting.
Kristaps Porzingis trade armed Nets with 5 first-round picks
Brooklyn was involved in a three-team deal that sent Boston Celtics star center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. The full transaction is as follows:
Atlanta Hawks receive: Kristaps Porzingis, second-round pick
Brooklyn Nets receive: Terance Mann, No. 22 overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft
Boston Celtics receive: Georges Niang, second-round pick
The most significant part of the deal is Porzingis landing in Atlanta, but armed with the most cap space in the NBA, the Nets snuck in as a third team to take on Mann's contract in exchange for the 22nd pick. It's unlikely Brooklyn makes five picks in tonight's draft; the more logical outcome would be finding a trade package.
Chicago should take advantage.
Bulls should trade No. 12 pick to Nets for extra first-round selections
Chicago fielded one of the worst defenses in the league last season, and one player selected in the back half of the lottery won't fix that. Adding two or three players, even if they come a dozen or so picks later, could have more of an impact.
The Nets are even more likely to maneuver later in the first round as, according to ESPN draft gurus Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Brooklyn plans to keep its No. 8 selection.
Moving a few of their late first-rounders to trade back into the lottery for a second time makes sense for the Nets. The Bulls should be making calls and offering the No. 12 pick to Brooklyn in exchange for some of those picks in the 20s, an idea floated out by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
Adding someone like Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 12 would no doubt help Chicago's defense. But grabbing multiple defensive stoppers who will likely be available later in the first round, like Arkansas wing Adou Thiero and North Carolina guard Drake Powell, would have more of an impact and also fit into Head Coach Billy Donovan's up-tempo, transition-based offense.