The Chicago Bulls didn’t get any lottery luck earlier this month, which means they will stay picking 12th overall. That may not be an enviable spot for teams aiming to improve in the NBA, but it is a pretty solid position to be in with a deep draft class coming in.
The Bulls have two picks to work with in 2025, one in the first and another in the second round. ESPN’s latest mock draft fills those two picks with exciting big men who could become key pieces to Chicago’s growing young core.
Bulls mock draft: ESPN gives Chicago two promising bigs
Even before the lottery was complete, most mock drafts had the Bulls picking Derik Queen, the center from Maryland, 12th overall. That hasn’t changed in the days since, as several mocks have already predicted Queen to be the next Bull.
Following the combine, Queen’s strengths and weaknesses are clearer. He measured at 6’10”, which means he didn’t lose height like some other lottery prospects. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said, “Chicago is in position to draft the best available talent but is in greater need of frontcourt help, which will make Queen an interesting option if he slips to No. 12.”
Woo admitted that the athletic testing at the combine wasn’t kind to Queen, and the Maryland center didn’t shoot well enough in drills, but that those are places the Bulls, or another team, will see areas for growth rather than major detractions.
“He’s a major offensive talent whose skill set separates him from the other bigs in this class — ultimately, his film should speak louder than the combine data — and whichever team selects him will believe it can get the most out of him. His proponents around the league see an intelligent player whose potential is high,” Woo argued.
Then, in the second round, the Bulls continued to address the frontcourt. They appear to, at least in ESPN’s eyes, be aiming to set themselves up to move on from Nikola Vucevic. With the 45th pick, Auburn center Johni Broome was mocked to Chicago.
He and Derik Queen would give the Bulls two shots at landing a franchise center. Broome was a star on a Final Four team, and he possesses the skills and experience to be a sleeper second-round pick. Either way, Chicago’s pressing need for big men was addressed and then some in this mock.
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