The Chicago Bulls haven't been at the top of the lottery as of late, nor have they added star free agents, so winning on the margins like Saturday's opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, is key.
The Chicago Bulls haven't been at the top of the NBA Draft Lottery as of late, nor have they added star free agents, so winning on the margins like Saturday's opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, is key to building towards being a winning franchise. Mavericks point guard Ryan Nembhard--brother of Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard--represents exactly the type of opportunities the Bulls need to be better about capitalizing on.
Ryan Nembhard went undrafted out of Gonzaga, despite being the NCAA assist leader in 2025, and more than holding his own during his time in the Big East with Creighton, before continuing to be a high level playmaker with the Bulldogs in Spokane, Washington. After going undrafted, he signed a Two-Way contract with the Mavericks, and it wasn't long before the guard-needy Mavericks gave Nembhard a chance at the NBA level.
He responded in a big way, with a 28-point, 10-assist game on 85.7% shooting, a 11-assist night, and generally has had a strong playmaking output whenever he is given a chance. Chicago, of course, didn't initially need much in the way of guard help, but it is quite easy to see Nembhard playing a big role on a Bulls team that has seen their starting backcourt in and out of the lineup.
But in the case of comparing the Mavericks savvy acquisition of Nembhard to anything the Bulls have done as of late, it's less about the specific player and more about the process.
The Bulls don't necessarily need Ryan Nembhard, but they need to be finding undrafted players who can step in a be real contributors. While the Mavericks were likely plotting how to sign the undrafted Nembhard, Chicago was securing second round deals in which they traded away 7-foot-3 Australian big man Rocco Zikarsky, and then secured the rights to cash and 6-foot-8 Australian big Lachlan Olbrich.
It is much to earlier to have a strong stance on any of these young players, but it is questionable that the Bulls--a team badly in need of rim protection and size in general--chose to send away the gargantuan Zikarsky in favor of the smaller, more offensive-minded Olbrich. On top of that, Olbrich and even first round pick Noa Essengue don't appear to be prospects that Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is keen on getting playing time. Compare that to Nembhard, who was receiving 25+ minutes per game by December, and even with that number trending down, is clearly a player Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is interested in seeing on the floor.
Even with all of the turmoil and change that has recently surrounded the Dallas Mavericks organization, they appear to be on more of the same page than the Bulls front office and head coach when it comes to building the roster in one shared image. The Bulls don't need to find undrafted gems, but the fact they don't is the reason lottery luck continues to stand as their best--only?--chance at once again gaining national relevance.