Bulls Hold Steady at No. 9 in Lottery After Bucks' Win

Losing to Suns keeps Chicago in draft lottery position despite late push

Apr. 5, 2026 at 10:20pm

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The Chicago Bulls remained in the No. 9 spot in the NBA draft lottery after losing to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. With the Milwaukee Bucks winning, the Bulls now hold a two-game lead over the Bucks for the No. 9 position, giving them a 50.7% chance of staying there when the season ends.

Why it matters

The No. 9 spot in the draft lottery is seen as valuable, with the top four picks in the 2026 NBA draft class considered potential game-changers for any organization. While the Bulls have insisted they won't tank, their roster construction has them headed for another lottery appearance.

The details

The Bulls lost to the Suns 120-110 on Sunday, their seventh straight defeat. With the Bucks winning, the Bulls now have a two-game lead over Milwaukee for the No. 9 spot in the lottery. This gives the Bulls a 4.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 20.3% chance of landing in the top four. The Bucks, meanwhile, have a 3% chance at No. 1 and a 13.9% chance of a top-four pick.

  • The Bulls have four games left in the regular season.
  • The Bucks play the tanking Brooklyn Nets twice in the next week.

The players

Tre Jones

The Bulls veteran guard scored 29 points and had 6 assists against the Suns, continuing his strong play down the stretch.

Leonard Miller

The Bulls' surprising forward scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 33 minutes of action with Matas Buzelis sidelined due to illness.

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What they’re saying

“The competitor in me thinks anytime we go into a game we have a chance to win. Now being in the NBA for, this is my sixth year, I've kind of been around and seen that every NBA game when both teams line up, there's enough talent on both sides. Whatever a team does, the controllable things, and plays hard on top of that, it usually gives themselves a chance to win.”

— Tre Jones, Bulls Guard

What’s next

The Bulls have four games left in the regular season, and with the Bucks playing the tanking Brooklyn Nets twice in the next week, the Bulls appear poised to hold onto the No. 9 spot in the draft lottery.

The takeaway

The Bulls' continued struggles this season have them in position for a valuable lottery pick, with the No. 9 spot seen as particularly desirable given the top-heavy nature of the 2026 NBA draft class. While the team has insisted it won't tank, their roster construction has them headed for another lottery appearance.