Chicago Bulls trade down in the 2nd round of NBA draft
The Chicago Bulls are moving down — but not out — in the second round of the NBA draft.
The Bulls made a swap Thursday morning with the Los Angeles Lakers, trading the No. 45 pick for the No. 55 pick and cash considerations, per a report by ESPN.
General manager Marc Eversley hinted after Wednesday's first round that the Bulls were considering a trade down in the second round. The Bulls currently have 12 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, a number that will jump to 13 if they complete expected plans to re-sign Josh Giddey. The roster is expected to undergo further change before the start of the season, but this overstuffed lineup of guaranteed contracts makes the draft a bit of a puzzle for the Bulls this year.
The Bulls already added young talent by selecting French teenager Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick. Essengue is only 18 years old — and won't turn 19 until December — which means the Bulls will take their time developing him into a regular rotation player.
If the Bulls still choose to pick in the second round, that player would have to make a considerable impression during summer league in Las Vegas to muscle out a spot on an already crowded roster.
The second round of the NBA draft will begin Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Who is Noa Essengue? 6 things to know about the Chicago Bulls' No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UFC 317 live updates: Results, round-by-round coverage of every fight
LAS VEGAS – UFC 317 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). The event goes down at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) and concludes the 13th annual International Fight Week. In the headliner, the vacant 155-pound title is on the line between former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and ex-lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC). Topuria vacated the 145-pound belt to move to lightweight for a shot at a title in a second division. The co-feature is a flyweight title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and challenger Kai Kara-France (25-11 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Advertisement Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 7 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on pay-per-view. Enjoy the fights, everyone. UFC 317 lineup MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET) Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira – for vacant lightweight title Champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France – for flyweight title Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano Felipe Lima vs. Payton Talbott PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET) Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+/Disney+, 7 p.m. ET) Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith Jhonata Diniz vs. Alvin Hines This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira results of every fight
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball starter appears in ESPN's early 2026 NBA mock draft
Wisconsin basketball starting center Nolan Winter appeared in the second round of ESPN's early 2026 NBA mock draft on Friday. In the outlet's way-too-early look at the 2026 draft, the Minnesota native is projected to be selected at No. 53 overall. Coincidentally, Winter's former Badger teammate John Tonje was handpicked at No. 53 of the 2025 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz on Thursday evening. While he didn't test the NBA waters following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Winter's development suggests that he could wind up in a professional setting, whether it be in the NBA or overseas. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 21.1 minutes, 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest across 37 starts during the 2024-25 slate. The season was his second under Greg Gard, his first as a full-time starter. Those tallies also included a 56.4% shooting rate from the field, a Big Ten-best 71.5% from inside the three-point line and 35.8% from outside. The 2026 NBA draft's top-end talent may rival what the 2025 cycle provided. The upcoming cohort will be headlined by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, Tennessee wing Nate Ament and Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr. While Winter is far from becoming a lottery pick, his draft stock could rise with a strong performance during his junior season. With the departures of Max Klesmit, Seven Crowl and Tonje, Winter will serve as one of UW's top two-way options alongside guard John Blackwell and transfers Andrew Rhode, Austin Rapp and Nick Boyd. With high-profile games scheduled against programs including Villanova, Providence and Marquette, in addition to a gauntlet Big Ten schedule, Winter could attract even more eyeballs with stellar outputs. As of June 27, Winter is sandwiched in between Louisville shooting guard Ryan Conwell and San Diego State sophomore Magoon Gwath at No. 53. Like Tonje, who didn't generate a ton of NBA buzz before the 2024-25 season, Winter could watch his name scale that hierarchy as the season progresses. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Portland. Who will they get in return?
The Portland Trail Blazers are reacquiring two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday from the Celtics, sending guard Anfernee Simons and two future second-round draft picks to Boston in return, ESPN reported on Monday night. Holiday, 35, who will earn $32.4 million next season, is owed a total of approximately $72 million in 2026-27 and 2027-28, after which his four-year, $134.4 million contract that he signed with the Celtics in April 2024 expires. Advertisement Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Simons joins the Celtics on an expiring contract. Per ESPN, the deal saves Boston $40 million in luxury tax payments next season. Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images In 2023, Portland landed Holiday in a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for Damian Lillard, then sent the 16-year veteran to Boston and acquired a pair of first-round picks. Holiday never played a game for the Blazers. Per the report, the Celtics are actively involved in trade talks involving multiple players on their roster following Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear in the second round of the playoffs. In his first season with the Celtics, Holiday played an instrumental role in the team's run to the NBA title, shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from 3-point range in 2023-24 and earning All-Defensive team honors. Advertisement Holiday was a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009. He has career averages of 15.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals with the 76ers (2009-13), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-20), Bucks (2020-23) and Celtics in 1,037 games (956 starts). He won his first NBA title with Milwaukee in 2021 and is a six-time All-Defensive selection. Simons, 26, was also a first-round selection, picked at No. 24 by the Blazers in 2018. In seven seasons with Portland he posted 15.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds over 389 games (213 starts). He should fit in with the Celtics' offensive approach, as he has averaged nearly nine 3-point attempts per game the last three seasons and is a career 38.1 percent shooter from distance. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Boston Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons
