Chicago Bulls Draft Sim V: Top Tier Guard Slides to No. 9, Big Swing at No. 15?

The NBA Draft Lottery is less than two weeks away, which means we are running out of time to do our Chicago Bulls sims! We have already seen the fake ping pong balls land in the team's favor multiple times, so it only feels right that we take another good look at No. 9. At the end of the day, the Bulls have a nearly 80.0 percent chance of staying put.

If you want to take a look at our last sims, be sure to check out our posts below!

Sim I – Cameron Boozer (Duke)
Sim II – Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
Sim III – Brayden Burries (Arizona)
Sim IV – Caleb Wilson (UNC)

Current NBA Draft Lottery Order (April 26)

1. Washington Wizards (17-65)
2. Indiana Pacers (19-63)
3. Brooklyn Nets (20-62)
4. Utah Jazz (22-60)
5. Sacramento Kings (22-60)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (25-57)
7. Atlanta Hawks – via Pelicans (26-56)
8. Dallas Mavericks (25-56)
9. Chicago Bulls (31-51)
10. Milwaukee Bucks (32-50)
11. Golden State Warriors (37-45)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – via LA Clippers (42-40)
13. Miami Heat (43-39)
14. Charlotte Hornets (44-38)

NBA Draft Lottery Simulation V

1. Atlanta Hawks – via Pelicans
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Washington Wizards
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Indiana Pacers – Clippers
6. Utah Jazz
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Chicago Bulls
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – via Clippers
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets

The Chicago Bulls Select ...

Feb 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) looks on during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 9 – Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

The top of the 2026 NBA Draft is overflowing with high-upside guard talent, and this means there is a very real possibility that someone takes a tumble. One of Brayden Burries, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr. could fall into the Bulls' lap at No. 9. And that would make their decision pretty straightforward!

Considering we have already discussed Burries as a possibility in the past, why don't we go with Mikel Brown Jr. this time around? I feel as if he currently has the biggest chance to slip, as both Burries and Flemings are the higher-profile names who showed some awesome signs during the NCAA Tournament. Conversely, Brown saw his season come to an early end due to a recurring back injury.

Nevertheless, Brown entered the season in the mix to be a Top 5 pick for a reason. He was the sixth-best recruit in the 2026 class, per 247Sports, thanks to his explosive scoring chops. These immediately showed themselves at the college level, as Brown averaged 18.5 points with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds over his 21 games played.

Brown offers promising positional size at six-foot-five, and he was able to use that to his advantage for nearly 6.0 trips to the charity stripe a night. Speaking of which, he is an impressive athlete who makes rising for an emphatic jam or adjusting mid-air at the rim look way too easy. If there is any reason Brown is seen as a consensus lottery pick, however, it would be his shotmaking potential.

You aren't going to find many players in this draft class with a better jumper. Brown can splash a catch-and-shoot triple just as easily as he can sink one off the bounce. He is constantly looking for opportunities to let it fly from deep, so much so that he took 160 of his 273 attempts this season from the perimeter.

Now, it's worth noting that Brown's shooting was extremely up and down. He shot just 34.4 percent from deep on the season, and this number actually sat at 27.4 percent over his first 12 games of the year. Still, the upside is hard not to love. The ball comes out of Brown's hands very smoothly, and he is extremely comfortable getting shots up from all angles. Simply put, you don't have a 10-16 night from three – yes, he did that – if you aren't a potentially special kind of shooter.

Brown also came into Louisville as a highly-regarded distributor. While his scoring is undoubtedly what stood out most, Brown has the vision to be at least a capable secondary facilitator. In fact, Louisville constantly had him operating out of the pick-and-roll, essentially gearing him up for a life in the NBA. Was he turnover-prone at times? Absolutely. But you almost have to respect his aggressiveness in this department. Brown looks like someone who is at least trying to make the right play.

The main concern with Brown is likely going to center around his efficiency and shot selection. It's a fair worry to have for someone who was such a high-volume guy this past season, but it's also something most NBA teams can likely overlook. Brown isn't merely someone with great raw athleticism but rather someone who has genuinely demonstrated a deep scoring arsenal. With the right coaching, he can learn when and where to attack.

Some Bulls fans aren't going to love this, but I do see shades of Zach LaVine in Brown's game. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has gone with Tyler Herro, which is also a decent comparison. Is he as explosive as LaVine? Not at all, and he may not be as comfortable from all three levels as Herro. But the smooth, elastic, and innate scoring ability is undeniable. With Coby White gone and Josh Giddey not much of a high-volume scorer, the Bulls are certainly a team that needs a boost in their backcourt.

No. 15 – Chris Cenac Jr., Houston

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Chicago Bulls have been talking rebuild with most of their front office candidates. So why not throw a dart at one of the youngest bigs on the board?

Chris Cenac Jr. is a fascinating prospect. He is a six-foot-eleven frontcourt player with real offensive versatility. He can fly down the baseline for a putback jam before draining a turnaround jumper at the elbow one possession later. Even more tantalizing, Cenac has shown the potential to be a legitimate floor space. While he only shot 33.3 percent from long range, he took over 2.0 attempts a night with confidence.

Indeed, Cenac is a player whose three-level scoring touch reminds you a lot of someone like Naz Reid or Bobby Portis. Not only can he come up big in the paint by doing some of the dirty work, but the catch-and-shoot attempts come naturally. I'm extremely impressed with his ability to move off the ball, stop on a dime, and square his body up for a jumper. It's not something you see often from a player of his size.

Nonetheless, there are still worthwhile questions about whether he can prove as efficient as those two high-end players. He would also have to get considerably stronger to handle NBA bigs. Cenac is seemingly a willing rebounder and doesn't necessarily shy away from the physicality, but he could definitely be knocked off balance at times. Not to mention, adding muscle is only going to help him defensively, where he left something to be desired.

Cenac is going to impress during workouts. Some mocks currently have him going in the late teens, but I think several front offices will begin to fall more in love with the sheer offensive upside and athleticism. Every team wants a frontcourt player who offers true size and shooting! The Bulls, in particular, should also have the time and space to give Cenac the runway he needs to get comfortable. The only big man under contract for next season is Jalen Smith.

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