Chicago Bulls Will Need 2025 NBA Draft to Jumpstart Rebuild

The Bulls have added some young pieces, but will still need the 2025 NBA Draft to come through with a big fish.

Apr 1, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Cooper Flagg speaks during a press conference at JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

For the first time in decades, it seems the Chicago Bulls have finally opted to exit the middle ground of the NBA in favor of a youth movement. Or at least many hope that's the case.

This offseason, the team added 22-year-old point guard Josh Giddey in exchange for sending All-NBA defender Alex Caruso, and drafted hometown kid Matas Buzelis with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft.

Those moves were solid enough for their first offseason with new direction, but much more will need to be done in order to return the team to true contention. And the 2025 NBA Draft will play a large part in that.

The next moves for Chicago will all involve continuing to offload win-now talent, which starts with franchise player Zach LaVine, as well as veterans like Nikola Vukcevic. Even doing that won’t guarantee the team a high draft pick, but it’s a start, and offers them more developmental minutes for youngsters.

Luckily for the Bulls and other teams set to occupy the top of the draft boards, the 2025 class is both talented and deep. Outside of the already household name in Cooper Flagg, there are as many as four other talents who most experts and scouts would consider to be franchise-altering talents: Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Nolan Traore. Not to mention a bevy of talented and mysterious international prospects.

For now, the Bulls will bide their time until they can further their rebuild with both additions and subtractions.

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