Nets Have New Threat to NBA Draft Lottery Hopes

The Brooklyn Nets have remained in pursuit of a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for months, igniting a rebuild that should place them high in the lottery come June. The Nets have three first-round picks this year, which means they could range anywhere from the No. 1 overall pick to the last pick in the draft.

The NBA landscape has become increasingly lopsided since trade season kicked off. The Nets have been selling their assets for draft capital, and are expected to continue to fall in the standings, however one team could compete with them in the draft lottery after last night's blockbuster deal.

Last night, the Sacramento Kings traded De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The Chicago Bulls are the third team involved, having traded star guard Zach LaVine to the Kings. Chicago took back Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and their own 2025 first-round pick from San Antonio and Sacramento.

Full trade:

Spurs: De'Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin

Kings: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first round picks (2025 CHA, 2027 SAS, 2031 MIN), three second round picks (2025 CHI, 2028 DEN, 2028 own back)

Bulls: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, their own 2025 pick via SAS https://t.co/UgwylCUYAO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025

The Bulls are also expected to trade center Nikola Vucevic, which would fully ignite a rebuild and establish themselves as a lottery team. Chicago is 21-29 and the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.

This poses a threat to the Nets, who are 16-33 and 13th in the East. Chicago is expected to have an even worse second half to the season now that LaVine is gone and Vucevic is expected to go next. The Bulls are implementing an idea similar to Brooklyn: focus on the young core and the draft.

It's a move that has been long overdue for Chicago. The team had been focused on playoff contention behind a core of LaVine, Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan for years. Over the summer, DeRozan departed for Sacramento, and now LaVine joins him on the Kings. Multiple teams have shown interest in Vucevic.

The Nets are currently tied for the fifth-best odds to get the No. 1 pick in 2025. The Bulls are ninth in odds, but that could get higher as the season progresses.

Brooklyn is still expected to move veteran forward Cameron Johnson before the trade deadline, but there are no new reports on any moves fully materializing.

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