The NBA Draft is now just eight days away, and the Chicago Bulls hold the 12th and 45th overall picks. They have a lot of directions they can go with their first-round pick, but it'll depend on what happens in front of them.
NBA insider Jake Fischer believes the Toronto Raptors could look to trade down from their 9th overall pick, but they also want to add a big man, which could make things difficult.
Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach
Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) runs up court during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“But how far could the Raptors trade down and still be able to land a big man they covet?" Fischer asked. "Sources say Chicago (No. 12) and Atlanta (No. 13) are two more teams with interest in drafting a center.”
If Chicago is looking for a big man, they may also look to move on from Nikola Vucevic. They mostly have a young team with Coby White and Josh Giddey, but Vucevic will be 35 years old next season. Getting a young center to either play behind him or be thrown into the fire immediately is something this franchise needs.
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As far as who could be a target, Duke's Khaman Maluach is the consensus top center in the draft, but he's expected to go in the top eight. Maryland's Derik Queen, Georgetown's Thomas Sorber, and Michigan's Danny Wolf are all bigs in the top 15 of The Ringer's NBA Draft Big Board, so it will just depend on what kind of big the Bulls would want.
Queen is an offensive beast down low and a surprisingly good playmaker, Sorber is the more traditional two-way center who averaged more than two blocks per game, while Wolf has the potential to be a stretch five but is great with the ball in his hands.
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