Final 3 Games Hold Scary Amount of Draft Lottery Weight for Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls aren't in the clear yet.

Thanks to their now-fired front office, the team remains in a heated lottery odds battle over the final three games of the regular season. With the Milwaukee Bucks throwing in the towel on their campaign and frustrating Giannis Antetokounmpo in the process, they have remained right on the Bulls' heels for the 9th spot in the order.

Indeed, facing off against the unapologetically tanking Wizards on Tuesday, the Bulls picked up a costly win. Their largest margin of victory this season, combined with the Bucks' losing in blowout fashion to the Pistons, shrunk Chicago's gap to just a half-game. And guess who they play next? That's right, another meeting with the Wizards awaits on Thursday evening. It would be a shock if they don't walk away with the victory.

The Bucks (31-49) will face the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers in their final two outings of 2025-26. As for the Bulls (30-49), they have the Wizards, Magic, and Mavericks on the calendar.

If the Bucks manage to lose both games, the Bulls would have to lose out to avoid potentially ending up with the less favorable odds. While Milwaukee may have the regular-season series victory over Chicago, this doesn't matter when it comes to lottery standings. In other words, if the two squads finish with the same number of wins and losses, a coin flip will decide who is slotted where. The Bulls are fresh off seeing how brutal that reality can be, as the Mavericks beat them in a coin flip last season, only to then jump from No. 11 to No. 1. *shivers*

Once again, a victory over the Wizards almost feels guaranteed at this point, and it sure feels like Dallas could do everything it can to tank that final game on Sunday. They are currently battling it out with Memphis for the sixth-highest lottery odds.

Even their matchup on Friday feels far from a guaranteed loss. While the Orlando Magic are in their own standings race and trying to avoid the Play-In Tournament at the last second, they have been one of the NBA's most disappointing teams this year. Let's not forget the Bulls have already beaten them twice this season. It's also unclear if the Bulls will continue to sit their top offensive players, as both Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis could return to the lineup for the final game at the United Center this season.

Some may not see a massive difference in sitting No. 9 or No. 10 come lottery day, but why wouldn't the Bulls do everything they can to help their chances at adding better talent at this point? Doesn't a 20.3 percent chance at a Top 4 pick sound a lot better than 13.9 percent?

Their refusal to game the system for "competitive integrity" purposes is a big reason why they find themselves in this front office-less situation. Especially with the lottery system changing in a matter of months, it's not like this needs to be a philosophy they embrace long-term. It's time to swallow any pride and lock in a higher chance at a Top 4 pick. Unleash Mac McClung and Yuki Kawamura!

Current NBA Draft Lottery Order (April 9)

1. Washington Wizards (17-62) – 52.1% at Top 4, 14.0% at No. 1
2. Indiana Pacers (18-61) – 52.1%, 14.0%
3. Brooklyn Nets (20-59) – 52.1%, 14.0%
4. Utah Jazz (21-59) – 45.2%, 11.5%
– Sacramento Kings (21-59) – 45.2%, 11.5%
6. Memphis Grizzlies (25-55) – 34.8%, 8.3%
– Dallas Mavericks (25-55) – 34.8%, 8.3%
8. Atlanta Hawks via Pelicans (26-54) – 26.3%, 6.0%
9. Chicago Bulls (30-49) – 20.3%, 4.5%
10. Milwaukee Bucks (31-49) – 13.9%, 3.0%
11. Golden State Warriors (37-42) – 9.4%, 2.0%
12. Portland Trail Blazers (40-40) – 7.1%, 1.5%
13. Miami Heat (41-38) – 4.8%, 1.0%
14. Charlotte Hornets (43-37) – 2.4%, 0.5%

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news