Chicago Bulls fans are holding their breath as the NBA Draft Lottery looms on May 12, 2025, with the team stuck at the No. 12 spot! Executive VP Arturas Karnisovas faces long odds to land a game-changer like Duke star Cooper Flagg, and some are joking that a prayer to the pope might be the Bulls’ best shot. With a flawed roster strategy under fire, can the Bulls defy the odds? Let’s dive into this high-stakes drama!

The Bulls’ Draft Dilemma

The Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads. Years of prioritizing “competitive integrity” over tanking for elite draft talent have left them with a middling roster and a No. 12 lottery position. According to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley, executive VP Arturas Karnisovas’ roster-building philosophy has failed to deliver, and the Bulls now need a miracle to move up in the lottery and snag a transformative player like Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the June 2025 draft.

Flagg, a Duke freshman phenom, is seen as a generational talent who could redefine the Bulls’ future. However, with only a slim chance of jumping into the top spots—Chicago’s odds of landing a top-four pick are less than 10%—the Bulls are banking on luck. As Cowley notes, “The pope and a prayer isn’t a real plan, but it just might be the best one” for Karnisovas right now.

Why Flagg Matters

Cooper Flagg is the crown jewel of the 2025 draft, a versatile forward with elite scoring, defense, and playmaking skills. For a Bulls team rebuilding around young players like Tre Jones (25), Zach Collins (27), and a core aged 20-25, Flagg could be the cornerstone to catapult them into contention. Without a high pick, Chicago risks another year of mediocrity, a fate all too familiar after their 2021-24 era of 46-win ceilings.

Even Cubs manager Craig Counsell, a Chicago native, chimed in with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion: “I think the pope should be focusing on the Bulls because they’ve got the [draft] lottery. First pick in the lottery and getting Cooper Flagg is what the pope should focus on for Chicago sports fans.” The quip, referencing Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, captures the city’s desperation for a draft miracle.

The Stakes for Karnisovas

Karnisovas’ tenure has been criticized for prioritizing short-term competitiveness over long-term upside. Trades like the 2021 Nikola Vucevic deal (costing Wendell Carter Jr. and two first-round picks for one playoff win) and the 2019 Otto Porter Jr. flop highlight a pattern of missteps. While recent moves—like trading Zach LaVine for draft capital and young talent—signal a rebuild, a low lottery pick could stall progress.

If the Bulls stay at No. 12, they’ll likely miss out on Flagg and other top prospects, forcing them to settle for a role player rather than a franchise-altering star. With fan frustration mounting and the pressure on Karnisovas intensifying, Monday’s lottery is a make-or-break moment for the Bulls’ future.

Can the Bulls pull off a lottery miracle to land Cooper Flagg, or will their No. 12 curse keep them in NBA purgatory? With fans jokingly calling for papal intervention, Chicago’s draft hopes hang by a thread. Will Karnisovas’ gamble pay off, or is another year of mediocrity looming?