Arturas Karnisovas got exactly what he deserved on Monday.
Not what the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations hoped for when the balls finished bouncing around in the hopper for the NBA’s annual draft lottery and definitely not what Karnisovas wanted to see happen, but this is what he earned.
And it wasn’t just one sting, it was two.
The Bulls had an 85.2% chance to stay in the No. 12 spot of the draft and that’s exactly how it played out. Not a real shock for Karnisovas, considering he made it very clear that the idea of tanking to increase draft lottery odds was not in his DNA, even when there is a can’t-miss prospect like Duke’s Cooper Flagg waving in the wind as the unanimous No. 1 overall pick.
Instead, he said several times that the focus was on “competitive integrity” and looking to play meaningful games in order to develop talent.
All that mindset earned the Bulls was a third-straight play-in loss to Miami last month, however, and No. 12.
Not that Karnisovas was relying on it playing out any differently.
“We will look at every opportunity to improve this roster,” Karnisovas said last month when discussing the June draft and upcoming offseason. “I think we took right steps with this group, and I think we are on the right path. Again, there are small wins this season with the improvement of our players and playing meaningful games and teaching them what goes into winning.
“There’s a lot to like about this young roster.”
Unfortunately, there could have been a lot more.
For Dallas, Philadelphia and San Antonio there was.
The Mavericks captured No. 1 with just a 1.8% chance and with the same record as the Bulls. A coin flip done weeks ago was the difference, giving Dallas the No. 11 spot and the Bulls No. 12. It was No. 11 that planted the Flagg.
But the heartache didn’t end there.
When the Bulls traded Zach LaVine in February, they were in the same standings zip code as Philadelphia and San Antonio. Injuries and the reality of the situation led to the 76ers and Spurs to simply shut guys down and mail in the rest of the regular season. The Bulls, however, put the gas pedal to the ground.
The Spurs jumped up six spots over the odds, hitting No. 2, while the 76ers shot up two spots over the odds and landed No. 3.
That means there’s a good chance Dylan Harper will be playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, while Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey can welcome in an Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe or Tre Johnson.
Who knows what the Bulls will be welcoming in or if they’ll even keep the pick. They could try and continue the shortcut process of roster building by using the pick in a package with a proven veteran like a Nikola Vucevic or Coby White to land a big-name talent.
“We’re going to look at everything,” Karnisovas said. “Everything is on the table.”
LOTTERY MOCK DRAFT
1. Dallas – Cooper Flagg – Duke – The next big thing in the NBA is about to arrive in Texas, as Flagg will instantly be the face of the franchise for the next decade. Luka who?
2. San Antonio – Dylan Harper – Rutgers – Wemby has another prized guard to run with and now the Spurs are building something dynamic once again in the West.
3. Philadelphia – Ace Bailey – Rutgers – Both VJ Edgecombe and Tre Johnson will be in the argument, as Bailey is not the sure-fire No. 3 pick he was at the start of the season. His size at 6-10 mixed with his athleticism will be too hard to pass on.
4. Charlotte – VJ Edgecombe – Baylor – Besides Flagg, Edgecombe might have the highest ceiling of any of the top five players. He displayed Anthony Edwards-like explosion around the rim and is a ball hawk on the defensive end of the floor.
5. Utah – Tre Johnson – Texas – Johnson might be the biggest climber in the class and could push his way into the No. 3 spot because of his scoring ability from everywhere on the court. Finished the season strong for Texas.
6. Washington – Kon Knueppel – Duke – The Dukie is more than just a knockdown shooter from the outside, displaying a mid-range game and a high IQ on the offensive end. Unlike a lot of three-point college specialists, however, Knueppel will put his nose in on the defensive end.
7. New Orleans – Jeremiah Fears – Oklahoma – The Pelicans need some serious guard help and Fears would solve some of those problems on both ends of the floor.
8. Brooklyn – Khaman Maluach – Duke – Maryland’s Derik Queen is a more polished player at this point, but Maluach has untapped potential, and is an instant game-changer in the rim protection department. A bit of a project but worth the investment.
9. Toronto – Derik Queen – Maryland – Queen showed he can make big-moment shots and is a crafty scorer around the rim. He has a unique skillset in handling the ball and passing, and could become a stretch big in a few years.
10. Houston – Kasparas Jakucionis – Illinois – Will have a chance to learn from veteran Fred VanVleet. Jakucionis is a good fit here, but it would be interesting to see if the Bulls would grab him if he fell.
11. Portland – Asa Newell – Georgia – The power forward is an instant impact on the defensive end but has some work to do with his offense.
12. BULLS – Collin Murray-Boyles – South Carolina – Ideally, Maluach or Queen would be the best fit, but Murray-Boyles is the best defensive forward in the class and is high effort in everything he does. In other words, he’s the anti-Patrick Williams.
13. Atlanta – Jase Richardson – Michigan State – The Hawks have to decide how long they want to live in the Trae Young Era, and Richardson gives them options moving forward.
14. San Antonio – Noa Essengue – Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) – The NBA’s next French Connection? Essengue is an elite finisher and solid rim protector, and would join fellow countryman Victor Wembanyama in the Spurs frontcourt.