In the last portion of the season, teams caught up in mediocrity must make a choice. They can try to battle their way into the play-in round in the hopes of rewarding fans with a trip to the playoffs. Alternatively, they might stumble down the table in the hopes of drafting a prominent player from the next class.
Duke star Cooper Flagg is widely expected to be this year's first draft pick. The 18-year-old averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season.
Flagg leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game while also shooting 49.4% from the field. He is also playing winning basketball as Duke finished with a 28-3 record.
Of course, it is not just about Flagg, players like Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Kasparas Jakucionis have a lot of potential as well. The pool of talent for the 2025 NBA Draft is deep.
While the bottom four are practically impenetrable, an unexpected team has entered the race to raise their first overall draft odds.
The Philadelphia 76ers, who were often touted as an NBA Finals candidate before the season, are now 22-43.
In a further setback, Joel Embiid was recently declared out for the rest of the season as the 76ers search for a long-term solution to his knee problems. This has again affected the Chicago Bulls' draft hopes.
Losing Embiid is surely a big setback for the Sixers and has an impact on the Bulls as well.
As things stand, the Bulls are 10th in the East with a 27-38 record. Behind them, the Toronto Raptors are 23-43. The Brooklyn Nets and 76ers both have a 22-43 record,
It is very likely that the Bulls will finish in a play-in spot in the East but it is not great news when it comes to their draft hopes.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 1:15 AM.