Luck was not in the Chicago Bulls’ favor Monday night.

The Bulls didn’t improve their positioning in the NBA draft lottery at McCormick Place and will have the No. 12 pick in the first round. The Dallas Mavericks won the No. 1 pick — despite the fourth-worst odds at 1.8% — and almost certainly will select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.

The San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets filled out the rest of the top four.

After finishing 12th in the lottery standings with a 39-43 record, the Bulls had only a 1.7% chance of moving up to No. 1 and an 8% chance of landing in the top four. And executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas refused to take any action to improve those odds, stubbornly insisting on the importance of competing for the play-in tournament despite the team’s eventual — and embarrassing — exit in a first-round blowout loss to the Miami Heat.

Ultimately, the odds held steady, leaving the Bulls to draft near the end of the lottery. By the time they pick, top talent such as Flagg and Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Texas’ Tre Johnson likely will be long gone.

That doesn’t mean the draft is a lost cause for the Bulls — far from it. The front office hit on Buzelis with the No. 11 pick last season, an example of the talent that exists throughout the lottery. But the Bulls will have to be savvy in their selection process to repeat that feat this summer.

The NBA draft will take place June 25 in New York.

Originally Published: May 12, 2025 at 6:26 PM CDT