The Chicago Bulls had one of the highest scoring offenses in the NBA last season, playing at a breakneck pace and taking and making gobs of 3-pointers. They were also one of the worst defensive teams in the league, allowing the third-most points per game. Drafting someone like Cedric Coward, a sharpshooting wing with size and intriguing defensive traits, would make a lot of sense.
Now, that's officially a possibility if the Bulls' front office wants to pull the trigger, as Coward announced he would be staying in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Chicago Bulls, Cedric Coward are a match made in Heaven
Coward is this year's most rapidly rising draft prospect. The 21-year-old senior began his college career at Division III Willamette before transferring to Eastern Michigan and, eventually, Washington State for his last NCAA season.
Coward was on pace for a breakout year with the Cougars in 2024-25, averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 40.0 percent from three before his season ended prematurely with a partially torn labrum.
Coward may have disappeared from the national draft consciousness, but he reappeared in a big way after his measurements and performance at the NBA Combine in Chicago. He was one of the most accurate shooters at the event and measured in at 6-foot-6, 213 pounds with a 7'2.25" wingspan.
The Bulls could certainly use a player like Coward, who fits snugly into what Chicago wants to do on both ends of the floor. He could be available when the team picks at No. 12, but based on his pre-injury production and pre-draft hype, he could see a Jalen Williams-type rise into the top 10.