The Chicago Bulls are coming off a rather underwhelming 2024-25 campaign. While they weren’t presented as title contenders from the get-go, the Bulls somehow regressed and found themselves out of the playoffs by the end of the regular season.
A 39-43 team can only do so much after their roster is depleted the way it is. However, the upcoming NBA Draft gives the Bulls the ideal opportunity to revitalize their team and begin the process of a rebuild. With the 12th pick in the draft, Chicago is likely to select Jase Richardson out of Michigan State, as per Eddie Bitar from Fadeaway World.
Another NBA analyst, Kevin O’Connor, predicts the Bulls could select Richardson, and he describes him as “a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson.”
Richardson is a solid pick, landing just outside of the top 10 in his draft class. The guard boasts incredible potential that could be extremely beneficial for the Bulls in the long run.
The 6’3″ guard is coming off a solid run with his college, going as far as the Elite Eight in the South Region before losing to Auburn. Richardson put up averages of 12.1 points and 3.3 rebounds on solid shooting splits of 49.3% FG and 41.2% from beyond the arc.
Richardson’s stats could be considered a bit of a misnomer, as the guard was only placed into his team’s starting lineup late in the season. However, seeing that his performance improved gradually is a good sign when considering his growth trajectory in Chicago.
The Michigan product displays a lot of positive traits when considering his position. With a rather conservative approach to the game, Richardson plays without making high-risk plays that help him curb turnover rates. In addition to this, his pace and elite defensive ability give him the necessary tools to form a solid foundation in the NBA.
The maturity of his playing style could also be attributed to his father, Jason Richardson, who enjoyed a 13-year-long career in the NBA. Considering that the guard already has a reliable template to follow, he could be of great value to the Bulls.
One of the several things the Bulls will need in the process of retooling is someone who can pick up the offensive slack. The deteriorating state of their offense since DeMar DeRozan‘s departure was exacerbated as their overall output came to a grinding halt.
Midway through the season, the franchise made the executive decision to trigger a rebuild and started cleaning house. The first major trade saw the Bulls move their star player Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.
This set the franchise up to rebuild around a gifted young forward in Matas Buzelis and a solid backcourt unit featuring Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. The addition of Richardson could be quite worthwhile, as he fits right into the template set by Dosunmu.
With other veteran guards around him, such as Lonzo Ball, the Michigan guard could stand to learn a lot in his rookie season with the team. However, it is unlikely that he will make an impact right off the bat.
The Bulls will need to use this offseason wisely to plan their next steps going forward. With a significant amount of cap space, the organization can afford to splurge on acquiring a superstar in the summer as well.
