Bulls Must Trade Down, Build for the Future in 2025 NBA Draft Amid Rumors

The Chicago Bulls have missed the NBA postseason in eight of the last 10 seasons and, despite flashes of hope earlier in the year, the team felt as far away from an NBA title as ever as the 2024-25 season concluded.

As the team prepares for Wednesday's NBA Draft, a new report suggests they may be undecided as to what to do with their No. 12 pick.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote in his latest mock draft that wing Carter Bryant and guard Egor Demin are among the names that he has heard associated with Chicago.

They are not the only ones, though.

He wrote, "Joan Beringer, Maluach, Danny Wolf, and Cedric Coward are other names I’ve heard from sources regarding the Bulls, which should demonstrate how wide open this pick is viewed by sources as being across the league."

Vecenie also noted that the team has "looked into trade-ups as well as trade-down scenarios.

Therein lies the direction the team must take in this year's draft.

The team does not appear to have the assets from a player perspective to make a sizeable jump up the draft order. With that out of play, and so many potential players at the No. 12 pick that one would be hard-pressed to say any are the solution to the Bulls' problems, the team must trade down and build for the future.

Accumulate draft picks, see if there is a player that can be packaged along with them, and restock the roster alongside Josh Giddey. Especially with Coby White, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vučević all potentially gone as unrestricted free agents after the 2026-27 season.

For a team and organization still trying to find its way, some 27 years after Michael Jordan hoisted their final Larry O'Brien Trophy, acquiring as much talent as possible rather than swinging and missing on someone midway through the draft simply because the front office feels obligated should be a priority.

If general manager Marc Eversley and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas do not have a clear indication of who the team will target at their position by now, and there is no indication either way entering Wednesday's event, seeing what they can get from a team that is inclined to jump up in the order is the wisest move they can make.

And one that could spell long-term success depending on what they do with their haul from there.