The Chicago Bulls are expected to take a big man with the 12th pick in the 2025 NBA draft tomorrow night. They don’t have major needs elsewhere, and they’re down to a 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic with one year left on his contract at the five. They need a center for the future.
The draft is the best chance to accomplish that goal, but what if they didn’t? What if, instead, they took someone who went to school nearby and has incredible upside in the backcourt? That’s what ESPN’s latest mock draft says they’ll do.
ESPN mock gives Chicago Bulls local point guard
In this mock draft, none of Joan Beringer, Derik Queen, Danny Wolf, or Thomas Sorber are getting to go to the Chicago Bulls. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo mocks Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis with the 12th overall pick. The guard went to college a couple of hours from where the Bulls play.
“Considering not many teams in this range have express backcourt needs, as well as the uncertainty surrounding potential trades, it has been tricky for some teams to confidently identify a landing spot for Jakucionis. Most project him in the Nos. 11-14 range, with the Trail Blazers and Bulls considered possible destinations, but also expect interest from teams in the top 10,” Woo said.
He acknowledged that the most pressing need for Chicago remains in the frontcourt. They don’t need another guard to go behind Coby White and Josh Giddey right now when the center position is so barren. “Still, the Bulls are in the process of reimagining the team moving forward, with Josh Giddey due for a new contract, Matas Buzelis emerging, and a glut of other guards who could be trade candidates,” Woo said. “There’s a case to simply go best-available at this slot, with Jakucionis holding a good argument in this scenario.”
Woo highlighted the Illinois product’s unselfishness, playmaking, and size, all of which allow him to play on and off the ball. That makes him a “relatively seamless fit” for most teams, including the Chicago Bulls, who could use a 19-year-old with a ton of upside.
No one seems to know what the Chicago Bulls will do in the draft
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