In Bulls point guard Tre Jones’ universe, the basketball gods are just. They don’t reward tanking or smile upon franchises that purposely try to lose.
So while he’s aware of many Bulls fans, media and maybe some in his own building pulling for losses to help the team’s draft-lottery odds, he refuses to play along.
“I approach every game the same: To win the game,” Jones said. “I don’t listen to outside noise, the draft lottery and all that stuff. The worst teams don’t get the best pick. Last year, Dallas got the best pick as the 10th-worst team in the league.”
The Mavericks actually were 11th, moving up 10 spots to land Cooper Flagg. It was the largest jump in lottery history.
Meanwhile, the Jazz, who finished with the worst record, ended up picking No. 5.
“We approach it to win the game,” Jones said. “We show up to do our job every single night. I hate losing more than anything. My wife can vouch for me. I’m not happy when I go home from these games. But I believe in the basketball gods rewarding certain things, and I believe if we continue to show up and do our jobs and put our best foot forward, every day we’ll be rewarded in the right way.”
It’s a nice thought. It’s just not good math.
Yes, the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets felt like the tankiest teams of the 2024-25 season, and none landed in the top three. But they were all in the top six, leading to the Hornets (No. 4) getting Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel, the Jazz (No. 5) selecting Ace Bailey and the Wizards (No. 6) picking Tre Johnson. All three have shown flashes this season, while Knueppel looks like a foundation piece.
The Bulls stayed at No. 12 and selected French project Noa Essengue, who looked physically overwhelmed at times before a shoulder injury ended his season in December.
Fast-forward to Thursday and what was going on in two NBA venues. While Jones and the Bulls were rallying from a 29-point deficit against the Cavaliers, only to fall short, the Bucks were playing in Utah in a stink contest.
The Jazz, who already have been fined $500,000 by the NBA this season for “conduct detrimental to the league,” only went eight deep, using two-way players and youngsters such as Kyle Filipowski and Bailey. All Bailey did was score 33 points and grab nine rebounds in one of his best games of the year.
The Bucks, who are still trying to convince former NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay away for the rest of the season, were blown out. No worry for the Jazz, who were still locked into the No. 5 spot of the lottery.
But for the Bucks, it feels like it’s all hands on deck to keep the ship sinking. They remained a half-game behind the Bulls in lottery positioning but feel more determined to lose games.
“As a fan, obviously, they want the best player in the upcoming draft, and for that to happen, they want us to lose,” Jones said. “So that’s their perspective on things. But when they show up to work, I’m sure they’re not trying to lose.
“So if they were in our shoes, I don’t think they’d be showing up and trying to lose.”
