Joe Dumars swears he called the Bulls on draft night last June.
Then again, the Pelicans executive also insisted that he reached out to Toronto at No. 9, the pick that was going to Phoenix at No. 10, Memphis at No. 11 and the Bulls, before someone finally stayed on the line and was willing to be a dance partner.
That’s how Atlanta traded No. 13 and Derik Queen to New Orleans, dropping to No. 23 and getting Asa Newell, but also hitting the big lottery ticket that was the Pelicans’ unprotected first-round pick in 2026. As of Wednesday, and pre-lottery juggling, that pick is currently No. 1 overall for a second consecutive loaded draft class.
That means because the front office of the Hawks understood the magnitude of the swap, they currently sit at 14% to keep the No. 1 pick and 52.1% to stay in the top four. Meanwhile, the likes of college freshman standouts AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have all made strong cases to be that top selection with at least two other teams getting a heck of a consolation prize.
If Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was actually attempting to purposely look this incompetent, he would have a hard time pulling it off.
With Bulls selection Noa Essengue undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday and Queen fresh off a 33-point triple-double for New Orleans, it’s almost turned into a cruel joke for Bulls fans these days.
Well, surely dropping to No. 23 wouldn’t have helped much, one might ask.
Oh no, yet another gut-punch, as Newell averaged 15.5 minutes per game his first two showings in the month of 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 this organization these days, and it’s not just because of the longest losing streak since 2020 that’s currently strangling the franchise. It’s compounded by so many swings and misses outside of the standings.
The 2025 lottery draft class is turning out to be can’t miss … except one. Karnisovas found that one. And as it’s playing out the executive also had a safety net of picks after Essengue that he could have landed on, and not just Queen or Newell.
Ryan Kalkbrenner — Charlotte, No. 34 overall
All the 7-foot-1 center has done is start in 21 of the first 22 games of the season for the Hornets, averaging a pedestrian nine points per game, but grabbing 6.7 rebounds and blocking a team-high 1.9 shots per game. What have been the two biggest defensive issues for the Bulls so far? Rim protection and rebounding.
A trade with New Orleans could have had the Bulls sitting with Kalkbrenner as the heir apparent for Nikola Vucevic and a Zach Collins — both expiring contracts — and having the ace up the sleeve that is that ’26 top pick. A frontcourt of Matas Buzelis, Kalkbrenner and Cameron Boozer anyone?
Joan Beringer — Minnesota, No. 17 overall
What if Karnisovas went with the other Frenchman on the board? While Beringer is fighting to get minutes behind Rudy Gobert, he has shown raw shot-blocking potential that has the Timberwolves very excited about his future.
Danny Wolf — Brooklyn, No. 27 overall
Another big that could have fit what the Bulls are trying to do offensively, as Wolf was shooting 44.4% from three-point range, as well as starting to shine this month by showing his play-making ability at 6-11 (2.3 assists per game) and grabbing six rebounds per game.
A high-IQ big that Karnisovas let slip by.
