Can the Bulls avoid turning March Madness into June draft sadness?

It really is an impressive feat by the bottom nine teams in the NBA standings.

That collection of have nots entered Sunday play with a combined losing streak of 48 games, headlined by Indiana and Washington, who had lost 16 and 15 straight games, respectively.

It’s almost like teams are trying to lose … because they are.

There’s two March Madnesses going on here: One that requires a bracket and a remote control to keep up with all the college games and the other that simply needs a collection of two-way contract players and an injury report to make sure the dash to the Association’s basement stays obstacle free.

Despite putting up some resistance on that front the last few weeks, the Bulls have resided in that bottom nine thanks to an 0-11 record for the entire month of February. Then on Saturday, Milwaukee was kind enough to help the cause with a win over the Suns, keeping the Bulls a full game ahead of their division rivals in the lottery standings.

Both teams have 12 games left, and the Bulls do have the easier schedule, but they also don’t have a former league MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo at odds with the franchise in trying to get back from injury and play.

Why all the fuss in losing? The 2026 draft class might not have the one-two Cooper Flagg-Kon Knueppel franchise-changing punch that ’25 did, but it is deeper at the top and does have potential perennial All-Star talent in it.

And while it feels like Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas doesn’t covet that like he should, he’s at least in the lottery chase this time around, rather than focusing on play-in glory.

The Bulls currently have a 4.5% chance at No. 1 and a 20.3% chance to hit top four. They are excluded from hitting Nos. 5-8, but if they can somehow jump New Orleans and get the No. 8 spot – somewhat possible – they would only be excluded from Nos. 5-7.

Here is the best-case scenario for the Bulls at each spot they can land in:

No. 1 (4.5%) – The world is theirs? Yes, but so are the concerns. Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has the most talent, but also the biggest headache. If he’s load managing and pulling himself out of games in college, what will he be like as a pro? AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer should both be considered. The Pick: Dybantsa.

No. 2 (4.8%) – This is not a bad spot, especially if the No. 1 team takes the gamble on Peterson. The Bulls then decide on Dybantsa or Boozer. However, if Dybantsa does go, decisions, decisions. Take the player that is safer and fits better. The Pick: Boozer.

No. 3 (5.2%) – Still not a bad spot to be. If Peterson scares off the first two teams, however, it’s a no brainer. The Pick: Peterson.

No. 4 (5.7%) – This one is simple with the big three off the board. That leaves big man Caleb Wilson and a perfect fit for what the Bulls need and want to do on both ends. The Pick: Wilson.

No. 9 (50.7%) – It would be great if Arkansas guard Darius Acuff fell this far, but wishful thinking. That leaves the likes of guards Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr. and Labaron Philon or wing Nate Ament. The Pick: Ament.

No. 10 (25.9%) – Not that the Bulls need more guards, but it's the best player available at this point and with this class it’s a guard. The Pick: Wagler.

No. 11-13 (3% and less) – This is the doomsday scenario. The sign that the Bulls are still living in the Curse of Thibs and have no chance of escaping it anytime soon. The Pick: A new profession for Karnisovas.