Joakim Noah Advises Chicago Bulls to Pursue High Draft Picks

Former Bulls star believes top selections could help team return to winning ways

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:53pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented basketball player or game scene, with sharp, overlapping planes of navy blue, orange, and silver, conveying the concept of rebuilding and reviving a struggling sports team.Joakim Noah's call for high draft picks could be the key to reviving the struggling Chicago Bulls franchise.Chicago Today

Joakim Noah, a former star player for the Chicago Bulls, has offered advice to his former team on how they can get back to winning. With the Bulls missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season, Noah believes that securing high draft picks would be crucial to turning the franchise around, pointing to how the team's fortunes changed when they drafted Derrick Rose with the top pick in 2008.

Why it matters

The Bulls have struggled mightily in recent years, failing to reach the playoffs since the 2016-17 season. As a beloved figure from the team's more successful era, Noah's insights carry weight, and his recommendation to prioritize high draft picks aligns with the conventional wisdom that rebuilding through the draft is often the best path forward for struggling NBA franchises.

The details

Noah, who played for the Bulls from 2007 to 2016, highlighted how the team's fortunes changed after drafting Derrick Rose with the first overall pick in 2008. He noted that even after a season of missing the playoffs, the Bulls were able to land the top selection and use it to acquire the future MVP, which helped propel the team to new heights. Noah believes a similar stroke of luck in the draft lottery could be just what the current Bulls squad needs to get back on track.

  • The Bulls have missed the playoffs for the last four consecutive seasons.
  • Noah was with the Bulls from 2007 to 2016, helping the team reach the playoffs seven times and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011.

The players

Joakim Noah

A former star player for the Chicago Bulls, Noah was with the team from 2007 to 2016 and helped them reach the playoffs seven times, including an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2011.

Derrick Rose

The Bulls' first overall draft pick in 2008, Rose went on to become the NBA MVP in 2011 and was a key part of the team's success during Noah's tenure.

Jimmy Butler

The Bulls' first round draft pick in 2011, Butler did not come into his own until 2015 when he made his first All-Star team.

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What they’re saying

“'Some high draft picks would definitely help. I remember after my first year with the Bulls, we didn't make the playoffs, and we had a one percent chance of getting the first pick, and that's when we drafted Derrick Rose, and that's when everything changed.'”

— Joakim Noah, Former Bulls Player

What’s next

The Bulls will look to improve their draft position in the upcoming NBA lottery, hoping to land a top pick that could help turn the franchise around similar to when they drafted Derrick Rose in 2008.

The takeaway

Joakim Noah's advice to the struggling Chicago Bulls highlights the importance of rebuilding through the draft, particularly for teams that have fallen on hard times. His experience witnessing the transformative impact of landing a top pick like Derrick Rose lends credibility to his recommendation that the Bulls prioritize securing high draft selections as a path back to contention.