The NBA Draft is the talk of the town, at least for the Chicago Bulls and soon-to-be 27 other organizations, all of whom fell short in achieving the ultimate goal. While the Oklahoma City Thunder and likely the Indiana Pacers clash in the NBA Championship, the Bulls are assessing which prospect makes the most sense to aid in a full-blown culture reset.
Just last season, the Bulls abandoned a methodical, slow-paced offense, favoring the mid-range and paint scoring in exchange for an uptempo, pass-happy offense focused on hoisting as many three-pointers as humanely possible.
The change in philosophy worked wonders for numerous players, including 34-year-old center Nikola Vucevic, who enjoyed his best season in Chicago. The 14-year professional averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while converting a career-high from both the floor and beyond the arc. Vucevic drilled 58.7 percent of his twos and 40.2 percent of his triples.
Although Head Coach Billy Donovan's pace-and-space offense proved beneficial for Vucevic among others, the same effect was not had defensively. Miraculously, Chicago went from fielding the best interior defense, allowing the least amount of points in the paint in 2023-24, to the worst interior defense in 2024-25, allowing a mind-boggling 54.0 points in the paint per contest. Despite a year-to-year improvement in defensive rating, the Bulls allowed the third-most points per game in the league a season ago, 119.4.
The need for reinforcements in the frontcourt is pressing, yet the focus must not only be on the draft-eligible power forwards and centers, but on reliable, defensive stoppers. A common name mocked to the Bulls at 12-overall thus far has been Maryland's Derik Queen. The 6-foot-10 big man was one of the most productive freshmen in college basketball a season ago.
Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game for the Terrapins. He displayed a vast offensive arsenal beyond his years, and plays with an unusual patience for a young big. However, the downsides to Queen are glaring.
Derik Queen's defensive limitations are not something the Bulls can handle
Although he measured just over 6-foot-9 barefoot, his wingspan barely eclipsed 7 feet. Among 16 players to measure at least 6 feet 9, Queen's wingspan measurement placed 12th. Moreover, he finished last in the lane agility drill, standing vertical, and max vertical, and second-to-last in the shuttle run and the three-quarter sprint at the combine.
Sure, an NBA Combine performance isn't at all indicative of how Queen projects at the next level. Yet, uninspiring measurements paired with poor athletic testing set the big man up for a disadvantage as soon as he hits the hardwood in the NBA. Furthermore, his college tape doesn't inspire much confidence in his defensive ability.
Evaluators are well aware of Queen's deficiencies, as should the Bulls. When discussing Chicago's newfound offensive philosophy and the need for a big in the draft with fellow reporter K.C. Johnson, Chicago Sports Network's Cam Smith stated, "…in terms of just the philosophical fit with this Bulls team, I think you could go another route other than Derik Queen with this team and how you want to play."
The Bulls' pundits are absolutely right. A common comparison for Queen is Domantas Sabonis or Alperen Şengün, two plotting, methodical bigs who excel in the low-post. While Sabonis and Şengün's archetypes are inherently valuable offensively, they require lanky wing defenders or an athletic interior deterrent to take the pressure off them defensively.
Unlike the Houston Rockets, who roster a slew of athletic wings, namely Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason, the Bulls lack competent wing defenders. Like Vucevic, there would be no hiding Queen on this iteration of the Bulls.
Furthermore, as mentioned, Chicago's offense has evolved into a space-and-pace, uptempo, three-point-frenzied scheme. Queen just doesn't fit in. He's a vaunted creator in the mid and low-post, a player whose unique shotmaking and post-passing make for a perfect fit in a half-court style scheme. While Queen is one of the better prospects in the 2025 draft class, he doesn't make sense for the Bulls, even as a 6-foot-10 big.