The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and unfortunately for the Chicago Bulls, they did not keep their pick. Their 2023 first-round selection was top-four protected from the Nikola Vucevic trade they made at the 2021 trade deadline. In turn, their pick this season, which landed at 11th overall, will convey to the Orlando Magic.
If that’s not bad enough, the Bulls don’t even have a second-round pick in this year’s draft. They forfeited their second as a punishment for tampering in the signing of Lonzo Ball during free agency in 2021. So, since they didn’t jump up in the draft lottery, which only had an 8.5 percent chance of happening, they have zero picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
So, where do the Bulls go from here? Do they trade into the draft hoping to add young talent to their roster? Do they forget about the draft and focus on improving the team via free agency and the trade market? They a tough decision to make.
Should the Chicago Bulls trade into the 2023 NBA Draft?
Trading into the draft would signal that the Bulls could be headed for a rebuild. With rumblings that they may want to trade DeMar DeRozan and center the team around Zach LaVine, this could be useful, but it would make even more sense if they reset their roster completely.
The Bulls have a real opportunity to jump up this year, too. Teams like the Portland Trail Blazers (third pick), Washington Wizards (eighth pick), and Dallas Mavericks (10th pick) are all picking in the lottery. And all of those teams will likely look to be competitive next season.
If Chicago decides they want to start over, trading LaVine and DeRozan for a combination of picks and young players could land them in the top 10 of this year’s draft. Depending on who they trade with, they could put themselves in a position to nab prospects such as Cam Whitmore, Anthony Black, or Gradey Dick.
Should the Chicago Bulls forget about the 2023 NBA Draft?
Outside of their hot start in 2021, this team hasn’t given fans much to be excited about. Obviously, the injury to Lonzo Ball has played a huge part in that, but considering he may miss the entirety of next season, too, Chicago shouldn’t base their future plans on his health.
Staying away from the draft only makes sense if the Bulls are completely invested in the current team and unwilling to change course. This is supposed to be one of the better drafts in recent memory, and trading for a first-rounder could be in Chicago’s best interest, regardless of the direction they choose to go in.
If they avoid it completely, they may soon regret it.
What will the Chicago Bulls do at the 2023 NBA Draft?
Based on how Arturas Karnisovas has been talking about the team, it is unlikely that the Bulls will get involved in the 2023 NBA Draft. The front office seems intent on making the current iteration of the team work, regardless of results over the past two seasons.
The only way Chicago could trade into the draft would be to give up a guy like Alex Caruso or Ball. And Ball’s value may not even be high enough to get that done.
But considering how committed Karnisovas and the front office are to this team, a draft-day trade probably won’t happen.
And that’s why Chicago’s unlucky night at the lottery was a disaster.
