The Ping-Pong balls at the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery didn’t fall in favor of the Chicago Bulls. In turn, they won’t have any picks in this year’s draft, as their second-rounder was stripped after they broke the NBA’s tampering rules when engaging in talks to sign Lonzo Ball. However, the Bulls not only have one first-rounder next season, they have two.
In addition to their own first, which is completely unprotected and owed to no one, they also have control over the Portland Trail Blazers’ selection. In fact, they have an obscene amount of control. The pick is top-14 protected, meaning it belongs to Portland if it lands in the lottery, but if it doesn’t convey in 2024, the same protections move to 2025. That trend continues until 2028, and the Bulls have had this control since 2022.
