NBA draft: Will Bulls call for Beasley or Rose?

SECAUCUS, N.J. - The Chicago Bulls won the NBA's draft lottery last night, giving them the right to choose between star freshmen Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose.

Coming off a miserable season and still without a coach, the Bulls vaulted from the No. 9 spot, where they had just a 1.7 percent chance of landing the top choice.

They will almost certainly choose between the 6-10 Beasley, the Kansas State forward who averaged 26.5 points and an NCAA-best 12.5 rebounds, or Rose, the 6-3 point guard who carried Memphis within minutes of the national title.

"After this season, we needed a break and I think we just got one tonight," said Steve Schanwald, the Bulls' executive vice president of business operations who represented them on the podium.

The Miami Heat, which had a 25 percent chance of landing the top pick thanks to its NBA-worst 15-67 record, fell to second, and the Minnesota Timberwolves will go third.

The NBA draft will be held June 26 in New York.

Chicago came into the season with high expectations after reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. But the Bulls never recovered from a dismal start and finished 33-49. They fired coach Scott Skiles on Christmas Eve and already have decided not to retain interim coach Jim Boylan.

The Bulls failed to land the coach they wanted, Mike D'Antoni, who took the Knicks' job, but the position might now become much more appealing.

The Seattle SuperSonics, who moved up to No. 2 last year to pick Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant, fell from second to fourth. Memphis will pick fifth, followed by New York, the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee, Charlotte and New Jersey.

Indiana has the 11th pick, followed by Sacramento, Portland and Golden State. The lottery settled the top three spots; the remainder of the first 14 picks are determined in inverse order of teams' records.

Chicago had the No. 2 and 9 picks the last 2 years, both from New York as a result of the trade for Eddy Curry. Schanwald gave a fist pump when he realized he would move up, then took a deep breath and pumped both fists after beating out the Heat, which was represented by All-Star guard Dwyane Wade.

Only twice have teams with the worst record won the lottery since the current format began in 1994.

Thursday, June 26, at New York

FIRST ROUND

1. Chicago

2. Miami

3. Minnesota

4. Seattle

5. Memphis

6. New York

7. L.A. Clippers

8. Milwaukee

9. Charlotte

10. New Jersey

11. Indiana

12. Sacramento

13. Portland

14. Golden State

15. Phoenix (from Atlanta)

16. 76ERS

17. Toronto

18. Washington

19. Cleveland

20. Denver

21. New Jersey (from Dallas)

22. Orlando

23. Utah

24. Seattle (from Phoenix)

25. Houston

26. San Antonio

27. New Orleans

28. Memphis (from L.A. Lakers)

29. Detroit

30. Boston

SECOND ROUND

31. Minnesota (from Miami through Boston)

32. Seattle

33/34. Portland (from Memphis)

33/34. Minnesota (may be conveyed to Detroit)

35/36. L.A. Clippers

35/36. Portland (from New York)

37. Milwaukee

38. Charlotte

39. Chicago

40. New Jersey

41. Indiana

42. Sacramento (from Atlanta)

43. Sacramento

44. Utah (from 76ers)

45. San Antonio (from Toronto)

46. Seattle (from Portland through Boston)

47. Washington

48. Phoenix (from Cleveland)

49. Golden State

50. Seattle (from Denver)

51. Dallas

52. Miami (from Orlando)

53. Utah

54. Houston

55. Portland (from Phoenix through Indiana)

56. Seattle (from New Orleans through Houston)

57. San Antonio

58. L.A. Lakers

59. Detroit

60. Boston