The Bulls and Mavericks finished with the same record (39-43) this past season and both lost in the Play-In Tournament. Given their standings, the toss determined which team got to pick earlier and spelled heartbreak for the Windy City. While the nature of the loss is still frustrating for Chicago, they do not have it as bad as the Wizards, who narrowly missed out on Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and now Flagg.

In the case of Wembanyana, the Wizards at one point reportedly had a better than 50% chance of landing the French phenom, but ultimately lost out to the Spurs.

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Despite having a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, the Mavericks managed to land the biggest prize of the draft, after receiving endless scorn from its fanbase after trading franchise player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

After the trade made general manager Nico Harrison public enemy No. 1 in Dallas, the Mavericks’ playoff hopes began to dissolve with injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving plaguing them late in the season.

Amid reports they plan to keep the pick and draft Flagg following his Final Four effort with the Blue Devils, Dallas could become a competitor in the Western Conference with a healthy roster. Although Davis returned weeks after straining his left adductor, Irving will not return to the court until January.

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The Bulls could still draft a good player with the 12th pick in a talent-stacked class. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor projected the Bulls to select Michigan State guard Jase Richardson in his first post-draft lottery mock draft. On the fit, he shared:

Richardson is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson. Pairing Richardson with Josh Giddey could make for a lethal two-man combination since Richardson is so potent moving without the ball. Jase didn’t inherit his father’s height or dunk contest athleticism though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside. But the Bulls have a ton of length and versatility that could mitigate that concern on defense, and enough shot creation on offense to let Richardson thrive off ball while picking his spots as a creator.

The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is slated for Wednesday, June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.