2. Chicago Bulls (7.5% odds for No. 1, 31.9% for the top 4)
Three years have passed since the Jimmy Butler trade, and it’s clear that the core of Wendell Carter Jr., Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Coby White doesn’t have championship upside. With Arturas Karnisovas pulling the plug on the Jim Boylen-era, the Chicago Bulls figure to be much more competitive next season. Will they get another crack at a blue-chip prospect before they make that transition?
1. Minnesota Timberwolves (14.0% odds for No. 1, 52.1% for the top 4)
When Gersson Rosas dealt a lightly-protected pick in next year’s (supposedly) loaded draft to swap Andrew Wiggins and D’Angelo Russell, he essentially locked the Timberwolves into this team – Karl-Anthony Towns, Russell, and a grab-bag of young perimeter players (Jarrett Culver, Josh Okogie, and the restricted free agency rights to Malik Beasley/Juancho Hernangomez).
This pick (along with the No. 17 pick from the Nets which was acquired at the deadline) represents their last chance to add to this group that has win-now aspirations in a loaded Western Conference. They better hope they do; the clock is already ticking on Karl-Anthony Towns’ free agency.