NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Bulls on the path to retaining top-10 selection

The Chicago Bulls have the 12th-worst record in the NBA after losing six of their last ten games. While losing isn't typically a positive, in this case, it may be. If the Bulls' 2025 first-round pick falls into the 11-30 range, it will convey to the San Antonio Spurs. Currently, Chicago is on the brink of owning its first-round selection with its 7-10 record.

Despite their mediocre record over the past five seasons, the Bulls have only been selected three times in the first round because of trades. Chicago selected Patrick Williams fourth in 2020, Dalen Terry 18th in 2022, and Matas Buzelis most recently at 11th in 2024.

It's still too early to tell if several of the Bulls' recent draftees have turned out, but it's looking bleak. It could be argued that Chicago has only hit on two draft picks in the past 10 years—Ayo Dosunmu (second round) and Coby White. Sure, Williams is a good player, but he was likely overdrafted at fourth. He's averaged 9.7 points per game and appeared in only 228 games over four-plus seasons.

Nonetheless, Chicago will potentially be granted the opportunity—lottery permitting—to draft in the top 10 for the first time in five years. This time around, the talent supersedes that of last season and numerous previous draft classes. The 2025 NBA draft class is littered with talent. We've rounded up several mock drafts to pinpoint the most probable prospects to land in the Windy City.

NBA mock draft roundup: ESPN, Bleacher Report, No Ceilings, NBADraft.net, and Tankathon

ESPN

The easiest cop-out comes first, with ESPN placing the Bulls at 11 in Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's mock draft. Since ESPN has Chicago at 11, the pick will convey to San Antonio, who in turn selected North Carolina's Drake Powell. Stay tuned, as ESPN will likely include the Bulls in its up-and-coming mock draft.

Bleacher Report

The Bulls are one of the better three-point shooting teams in the association, and Bleacher Report has the rich getting richer. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has the Bulls selecting Duke forward Kon Knueppel at seven in his latest mock draft.

Wasserman also provided a player comparison for the 19-year-old Duke sharpshooter to former NBA All-Star Wally Szczerbiak. The draft pundit raved about Knueppel's elite shooting ability while praising his "self-creation, driving, and tough defense." Thus far, the freshman averages 14.8 points and 2.8 triples per game on a 38.5 percent clip from downtown.

While Knueppel is a good prospect, he doesn't fit the Bulls' current needs. If Chicago moves on from Zach LaVine, the 6-foot-6 wing would be a fine pick. However, as the team that allows the most points in the paint in the league, the Bulls' front office needs to prioritize size and athleticism on the interior.

No Ceilings

Although not a household name like ESPN or Bleacher Report, No Ceilings specializes in NBA Draft content and does an incredible job. The No Ceilings crew paired Maryland big man Derik Queen with Chicago at eighth overall.

No Ceilings mentioned the Bulls' rebuild throughout, anticipating Nikola Vucevic to be gone once the season ends. And if Vooch is traded, Chicago must fill a gaping hole at the center position. Enter Queen, a 6-foot-10, 244-pound center who dropped 22 points and 20 rebounds in his first collegiate game.

Since Queen's breakout game, he's averaged 15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the floor. He doesn't quite space the floor (0-of-7 on three-pointers), but he's a fluid athlete who will pair well with Coby White and Josh Giddey.

NBADraft.net

Like Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net predicts the Bulls will select a wing. Rather than the sharpshooter from Duke previously mentioned, NBADraft.net foresees Chicago selecting the uber-athletic forward from Baylor, V.J. Edgecombe, seventh overall.

Despite Edgecombe's average height and wingspan (both 6-foot-5), he plays much bigger than he is. The freshman is a highlight reel waiting to happen, capable of throwing down thunderous dunks as long as he's within palpable takeoff distance.

Edgecombe has begun his freshman season in a shooting slump, knocking down only 33.9 percent of his field goals and 22.7 percent of his triples. However, he's extraordinarily active on defense and an unreal offensive rebounder for his size. Edgecombe averages 2.4 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 3.0 offensive boards per game. Although he's not a big, Edgecombe would add a missing component to the Bulls lineup—active defense. He's not quite a 3-and-D talent (yet), but more so a similar mold to Amen and Ausar Thompson.

Tankathon

The last mock draft we've included, Tankathon, has the Bulls selecting sixth in its latest lottery simulation. Instead of a sharpshooting or defensive-minded forward, Tankathon linked Texas's Tre Johnson, a high-scoring guard, to Chicago.

Johnson is Tankathon's third-highest-rated guard, and for good reason. The 19-year-old is averaging 22.0 points and 3.6 three-pointers per game. Despite a relatively tough shot volume, he's converting on 50.0 percent of his field goals and 50.0 percent of his threes—good for a 65.1 percent true shooting clip.

Not to continue harping on Chicago's need for length and defense, but it must continue until pundits and media outlets begin pinpointing bigs as the Bulls' most significant need. Johnson will go top-10; his scoring is next-level for his age. Nevertheless, he's not an archetype Chicago should be gunning for, unless the Bulls completely tear it down, trading LaVine and perhaps not re-signing Giddey.