The Bulls finished the 2024-25 season with the same record as the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams were 39-43, which meant a tiebreaker was needed to determine who got the higher draft odds. The Mavericks won the random draw and received the 11th-best odds to land the No. 1 pick, while the Bulls wound up 12th. And that made all the difference.

The Bulls didn’t improve their positioning in the NBA draft lottery at McCormick Place and will have the No. 12 pick in the first round. The Dallas Mavericks won the No. 1 pick — despite the fourth-worst odds at 1.8% — and almost certainly will select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.

Back in 2008, the Chicago Bulls had a slim 1.7% chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery, and lucked into picking Derrick Rose at No. 1 overall. Facing the exact same long odds this year, with the lottery once again taking place in the Bulls' backyard at McCormick Place,