It’s still not too late.
That’s what the Bulls have on their side.
Even with the front office still seemingly asleep at the wheel as the Feb. 6 trade deadline is now just over three weeks away, the product executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley has built is below average enough to self-operate right back into mediocrity.
The Bulls were 18-21 at this point last season, and after losing the DeMar DeRozan reunion game at the United Center on Sunday, yep, they’re 18-21 this season.
That puts the Bulls with the ninth worst record in the NBA.
Not ideal on where they needed to be when the season started, but still salvageable.
The Bulls need to finish top 10 or lower to keep the first-round draft pick out of the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, and while they have been walking that fine line for the last month, they’re still holding onto it.
The good news is the Bulls could even drop down to the eighth-worst record if the underachieving Philadelphia 76ers can somehow find their way, but that’s about where the brakes start grinding.
Even if the front office was able to dump cargo and find new homes for Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic or a Lonzo Ball, or even a combo of the three, the likelihood of dropping further down is small.
Teams like Washington, Toronto, Charlotte, Utah, Brooklyn and Portland came into the season with a realization of what they were, the talent level in the stacked 2025 draft class, and just a better tanking plan than the Bulls.
They’ve been bad on purpose, while the Bulls have been below mediocre on almost accident.
If Karnisovas can get his team down to No. 8, the worst-case scenario is a 6% chance at No. 1 and Cooper Flagg, 6.3% chance at No. 2, which should be Ace Bailey for the Bulls, and a 6.7% at Bailey’s Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper if they hit No. 3.
Basically, No. 8 would give the Bulls a 26.4% chance to hit a spot in the top four. Not ideal, but considering they hit No. 1 and landed Derrick Rose with a 1.7% chance in 2008? They’ve defied much larger odds before.
Why No. 8 would be even more important for Karnisovas, however, is it would offer up more protection in keeping the pick in-house. The Bulls would have a 34.5% chance to stay at No. 8, a 32.1% chance to slip to No. 9, and a 6.8% chance to drop to No. 10. But they only have a 0.4% chance to drop to No. 11 and lose the pick.
If they stay at No. 9, it’s a 3% chance to lose it and No. 10 is a 19% chance.
Why does this all matter if the Bulls can’t land a game-changer like Flagg – fresh off an ACC freshman-record 42 points over the weekend by the way? There’s still roster help even at No. 8.
Kon Knueppel – SG/SF – 6-7 – Duke – He’s a much better three-point shooter than the numbers (36%) so far this season, and he’s really solid in pick-and-roll. Like Flagg, Knueppel has great make-up and toughness, which the Bulls could really use. The Bulls need size and Knueppel would help in that department as a combo big guard/wing.
Khaman Maluach – C – 7-2 – Duke – The third Duke prospect that could go in the Top 10, Maluach is one of the younger players projected to go first round, but brings a much-needed skillset to a team like the Bulls. His offense is raw, but his ability to finally give the Bulls a true rim protector and run the floor would be welcomed with open arms. The heir apparent for Vucevic.
Liam McNeeley – SG/SF – 6-8 – UConn – A tough two-way player that would add to a Bulls frontcourt that needs help. McNeeley is a good three-point shooter and excellent play-maker, plus has that Huskie make-up that translates well to the NBA.