Best News for the Chicago Bulls is the Portland Trail Blazers' Remaining Schedule

For many teams, an 11-game losing streak would be a time to panic. For the Chicago Bulls, it might as well elicit a sigh of relief.

Fans have been calling on this organization to pick a new direction for years, and there is little question that they have done exactly that. Even if the explosive trade deadline wasn't meant to make things look this disastrous, an easy case can be made that this is better in the long run than any alternative.

The Chicago Bulls have slightly improved their lottery odds since the trade deadline. They currently sit with the NBA's 9th-worst record, giving them a 20.3 percent shot at a Top 4 pick in one of the NBA's most tantalizing drafts in years. Likewise, this winless month of February has put them within 1.5 games of the Memphis Grizzlies, whom they will face twice over the remainder of the regular season. In other words, there is still time for their lottery odds to improve.

However, the tank race isn't the only thing that optimism-needy Bulls fans should have their eye on over the next month and a half. Chicago landing two Top 20 picks in June is still very much in play, as the Portland Trail Blazers have finally entered the postseason picture.

Bulls Inching Closer to Securing Portland Pick?

The Chicago Bulls acquired a future Portland Trail Blazers lottery-protected pick in the Lauri Markkanen trade of 2021. The future All-Star was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the three-time transaction, netting Chicago Derrick Jones Jr. and the first-rounder.

Of course, the Trail Blazers would proceed to enter a full-scale rebuild, even moving on from superstar Damian Lillard. The pick became a forgotten asset ... until this summer. With the Trail Blazers acquiring Jrue Holiday and welcoming back Damian Lillard, they made clear that taking a meaningful step forward was the goal. And they have proceeded to do just that.

While their 29-31 record isn't going to blow anyone away, it currently has Portland 9th in the Western Conference and in line for their first Play-In Tournament berth. To be sure, the Clippers are right on their heels and only 1.0 game behind for the right to host the 9v10 Play-In game, but a move up the West leaderboard may be more likely than a drop down.

Indeed, the Chicago Bulls should be thrilled to learn that the single-easiest remaining schedule belongs to the Trail Blazers. According to Tankathon, the combined winning percentage of Portland's final 22 opponents is just .432. The Sacramento Kings currently own the second-easiest slate with a combined opponent winning percentage of .455.

Ten of the Trail Blazers' final 22 games will come against the current eight worst teams in the NBA. This includes two games against the 15-win Pacers and two against the 15-win Nets. As if those matchups weren't easy enough, it's increasingly likely that the teams swimming in bottom start to sit out players or prioritize minutes for youngsters as they battle for final lottery positioning.

For a Trail Blazers organization hoping to make a run for the No. 8 seed and put itself in a position for two win-and-in opportunities, this schedule is highly encouraging. And the same can be said for a Bulls team hoping to bolster its roster this summer with more high-upside young talent. Heck, Arturas Karnisovas might as well start sporting a Trail Blazers cap and quarter-zip!

Speaking of which, as painful as the Bulls' 11th-straight loss was on Thursday night, walking off with a win in that one would have felt especially counterintuitive. They were able to help the Trail Blazers improve their record and slightly extend their lead over the Clippers. With Los Angeles having the third-easiest remaining schedule, that extra win could mean a lot down the road.

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