(670 The Score) It’s not the first time this has been mentioned in recent years – and probably won’t be the last – but the Bulls are facing another pivotal point in their rebuilding effort.
The NBA Draft lottery will be conducted Thursday evening, after which the Bulls will know which selection they will own in the first round. The draft lottery will start at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
After going 22-43 and being excluded from the NBA’s 22-team restart in Orlando, the Bulls own a 7.5% chance to land the No. 1 pick and a 32% chance to land a top-four selection. Ping-pong balls are drawn to award the top four picks in the draft.
The Bulls own the seventh-best odds to land the No. 1 pick. By the odds, they’re most likely to obtain the No. 8 pick. Here’s a look at their odds to land each pick.
No. 1: 7.5%
No. 2: 7.8%
No. 3: 8.1%
No. 4: 8.5%
No. 5: 0%
No. 6: 0%
No. 7: 19.7%
No. 8: 34.1%
No. 9: 12.9%
No. 10: 1.3%
No. 11: <0.1%
The Warriors, Cavaliers and Timberwolves own the best chance of landing the No. 1 pick at 14% each.
The NBA Draft will be held on Oct. 16. The Bulls also hold the No. 44 overall pick in the second round.
The Bulls have drafted at No. 7 overall in each of the past three years. They acquired that pick in 2017 in trading star Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves. The Bulls landed the No. 7 pick in the lottery each of the past two seasons.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund