The 2023 NBA Draft is in just a couple of weeks, but unfortunately for the Chicago Bulls, they don’t have a pick. Their first-round selection is owed to the Orlando Magic by way of the Nikola Vucevic trade, and the NBA stripped them of their second-round pick, as it was concluded that they tampered when signing Lonzo Ball in 2021.
Chicago still has time to trade into the draft, but as of now, it’s looking like they won’t make a selection this year. And while that prevents them from adding young talent to the roster, it also stops them from picking a bust.
Throughout the years, the Bulls have made some great draft picks, but they’ve also had their fair share of failures. Here are the top five worst Bulls draft picks of all time.
5 worst Bulls draft picks of all time: Jay Williams, 2002
This is unfair. Sure, Jay Williams struggled in his rookie season, but a lot of players do. Williams never got the chance to grow, as a motorcycle crash ended his career after just one season.
However, considering the Bulls made him the second pick in the 2002 NBA Draft with guys like Mike Dunleavy, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Caron Butler still on the board, Williams was certainly a bust.
5 worst Bulls draft picks of all time: Marcus Fizer, 2000
Marcus Fizer had a short NBA career (just six years), but he wasn’t terrible in Chicago. He averaged nearly 10 points and five rebounds for his career. However, considering Chicago selected him with the fourth pick in 2000, he was a serious disappointment.
The situation is made worse when you consider the players selected after him. Mike Miller was picked fifth, and Jamal Crawford was picked eighth.
5 worst Bulls draft picks of all time: Brad Sellers, 1986
The 1986 NBA Draft wasn’t exactly star-studded, yet the Bulls still managed to mess up their pick. They selected big man Brad Sellers ninth overall, but he only spent three seasons in Chicago and six total in the NBA.
Plus, while the draft wasn’t loaded, there were still some solid players Chicago could have selected. Among them were Johnny Dawks (10th), John Salley (11th), Dell Curry (15th), Scott Skiles (22nd), and Mark Price (25th).
5 worst Bulls draft picks of all time: Denzel Valentine, 2016
Denzel Valentine didn’t give the Bulls much. He just never panned out at the NBA level. It’s not easy drafting anywhere past the first few picks, but this selection is made worse by the players who went later in the first round.
Chicago picked Valentine with the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Some of the players drafted after him include Malik Beasley (19th), Caris LeVert (20th), Pascal Siakam (27th), and Dejounte Murray (29th).
5 worst Bulls draft picks of all time: Tate Armstrong, 1977
Tate Armstrong isn’t a name many people will recognize and for good reason. He may be the worst Bulls draft pick on this list. Chicago picked Armstrong with the 13th pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, but he played for just two seasons, averaging 3.8 points in 10.6 minutes per game.
How does Armstrong get classified as a true bust? Neither of the men in the photo above is Armstrong. There were no pictures of him available. That picture is just the only one from the 1977-78 Bulls season.
And to throw some salt in the wound, the three picks that came immediately after Armstrong were Tree Rollins at 14th, Brad Davis at 15th, and Ricky Green at 16th, who went on to play 18, 15, and 14 NBA seasons, respectively.
