Pelicans executive Joe Dumars swears he called the Bulls, who had the 12th pick, on draft night last June.
Then again, he also insists that he reached out to the Raptors (who had the ninth pick) and other teams before he finally found a willing dance partner.
The Hawks traded No. 13 pick Derik Queen to the Pelicans, who sent No. 23 pick Asa Newell to the Hawks. Atlanta also acquired New Orleans’ unprotected first-round pick in 2026. As of Wednesday, that pick is the No. 1 overall selection in a second consecutive loaded draft class.
The Hawks’ front office understood the magnitude of the swap, and Atlanta has a 14% chance to keep the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance to stay in the top four. Meanwhile, college freshman standouts AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have made strong cases to be that top selection with at least two other teams getting excellent consolation prizes.
If Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas actually was trying to look this incompetent on purpose, he’d have a hard time pulling it off.
With Bulls first-round pick Noa Essengue having season-ending shoulder surgery Wednesday and Queen fresh off a 33-point triple-double for the Pelicans, the Bulls’ draft strategy almost has turned into a cruel joke.
Well, dropping to No. 23 wouldn’t have helped much, one might say.
Oh, no, that’s yet another gut punch. Newell averaged 15.5 minutes his first two games in December, scoring 11 points in each. Essengue gave the Bulls six minutes as a rookie, going 0-for-3. That’s it. Period.
There’s a reason a dark cloud is hanging over Karnisovas and the organization these days, and it’s not only because of the Bulls’ longest skid (seven games) since 2020. It’s compounded by so many swings and misses.
The 2025 lottery draft class is turning out to be can’t-miss . . . except for one. Karnisovas found that one. And as it’s playing out, he also had a safety net of picks after Essengue he could’ve landed on — and not just Queen or Newell.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Hornets, No. 34 overall
The 7-1 center has started in 21 of the first 22 games for Charlotte, averaging a pedestrian nine points but grabbing 6.7 rebounds and blocking a team-high 1.9 shots per game. And what are the two biggest defensive issues for the Bulls? Rebounding and rim protection.
A trade with New Orleans could’ve landed Kalkbrenner as the heir apparent to Nikola Vucevic and Zach Collins — both on expiring contracts — and the Bulls also would have that ’26 top pick as the ace up their sleeve. A frontcourt of Matas Buzelis, Kalkbrenner and Boozer, anyone?
Joan Beringer, Timberwolves, No. 17 overall
What if Karnisovas had gone with the other Frenchman on the board? Beringer is fighting to get minutes behind Rudy Gobert, but he has flashed raw shot-blocking potential that has Minnesota excited about his future.
Danny Wolf, Nets, No. 27 overall
Another big man who could’ve fit in what the Bulls are trying to do offensively. Wolf, who’s 6-11, is shooting 44.4% from three-point range, and he’s starting to show his playmaking skills (2.3 assists per game) and rebounding ability (6.0 per game) this month.
He’s a high-IQ big Karnisovas let slip by.
