Following their 109-90 blowout loss to the Miami Heat at the United Center in April’s Play-In Tournament, the Chicago Bulls are entering an offseason where they are expected to continue the roster teardown that started with DeMar DeRozan’s trade to the Sacramento Kings last summer.
The Bulls traded Zach LaVine in February, but decided to put the rebuild on hold so young players like Matas Buzelis, Coby White, and Josh Giddey could gain valuable experience as to what it was like to get thumped by the Heat in the postseason.
Chicago did so at the expense of gaining better odds to select higher in this year’s draft.
The Chicago Bulls must find Nikola Vucevic’s replacement
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks Nikola Vucevic’s time with the Bulls is about up via a trade this summer or next season, and argued Chicago should draft a center in the first round...if they can get help in the draft lottery on May 12. Khaman Maluach and Derik Queen are his best fits for the Bulls.
“Before the lottery jumbles things up, the Bulls sit at No. 12, spending the season disregarding a ’25 draft class that is loaded at the top,” Cowley wrote. “There are two true NBA centers who can help the Bulls, but unfortunately they both will be gone by No. 12 unless the Bulls get lucky and move up.
“The best fit would be Duke’s 7-2 up-and-comer Khaman Maluach, who would instantly change the shot-blocking issues for coach Billy Donovan. Maluach needs work on the offensive end but started to shine in that department the last month of the season. The other big is Maryland’s Derik Queen, who is further along on the offensive end but not the shot blocker Maluach is.”
One prospect could be available at No. 12
Via a May 2 mock draft by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, Queen comes off the board at No. 8 to the Toronto Raptors. The six-foot-10, 246-pound center averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for Maryland last season.
Despite Cowley suggesting 12 is too low, Vecenie actually has the Bulls selecting Maluach with the No. 12 pick. The seven-foot-two, 250-pound center averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and .5 assists for the Blue Devils last season.
As has been the case for too long, Bulls fans can hope.
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