The Chicago Bulls will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season (have reached the play-in tournament the previous four seasons), and Joakim Noah knows how they can get back on track. On3 recently asked the former Bulls star how the franchise can turn things around.

“Some high draft picks would definitely help,” Joakim Noah told On3. “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.

“So obviously losing sucks, and right now the Bulls are in a tough position, but hopefully we get a little lucky, and we get a top pick in the draft, and everything can change really quickly in this league. So just tell the guys to just stay focused, stay hungry, and just focus on your improvement.”

The Bulls selected Noah in the first round (No. 9 overall) in the 2007 NBA draft. He was with the team for nine seasons and helped the team reach the playoffs seven times, including the Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2011.

Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose dig big things in 2011

In that season, Noah played in just 48 regular-season games but was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Derrick Rose also played a big role in the team’s success, as he was named NBA MVP for averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists per contest. After the 2010-11 season, the Bulls selected Jimmy Butler at No. 1 overall, but he did not come into his own until 2015, when he made his first All-Star team.

Noah and Rose left the Bulls after the 2015-16 season, and the franchise has not been the same. In the last 10 seasons, Chicago has had one winning season and have reached the playoffs twice. The last time the Bulls had the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft was in 2008 when they selected Rose.

When Noah left the Bulls, he spent time with the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers before announcing his retirement in March 2021. In his career, Noah was named an All-Star twice, named to the All-NBA First Team in 2014, won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2014, and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team twice.