The future foundation of the Chicago Bulls could be determined this week at Wintrust Arena.
The best of the 2026 NBA draft class is congregated in the South Loop for the NBA draft combine. For the Bulls, this week is more important than ever after they moved up to No. 4 in the draft with a little lottery luck Sunday. But now comes the hard part: deciding which players make the most sense at Nos. 4 and 15.
With two first-round picks and two second-rounders, new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham has the opportunity and responsibility to scout this entire draft class from top to bottom. But which players should the Bulls be watching the closest during this week’s combine?
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When it comes to the No. 4 pick, the decision isn’t really up to the Bulls. This is the privileged frustration of picking fourth in a draft with a consensus top four. Graham acknowledged that most experts consider that group to be BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. It would be a shock for any of them to fall past No. 4.
As the last to pick from that pack, the Bulls will be left to the whims of the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. But that doesn’t lessen the responsibility for Graham to deeply and effectively research the best decision for the Bulls to make with the No. 4 pick.
First, he must make sure he agrees with the consensus. Peterson suffered cramping issues throughout his season at Kansas — which he recently attributed to the overuse of creatine — limiting his availability for a wide swath of regular-season games. And Wilson broke his thumb shortly before the NCAA Tournament, which means teams don’t have tape on the forward in the highest-stakes college competition.
These detriments might seem small in comparison with the players’ talents, but they can make a difference in a front office’s decisions.
The Bulls also must scout this group in case any of the teams ahead of them decide to gamble on a player outside the consensus. What if both Peterson and Wilson are available? How about Boozer versus Dybantsa? Any of these combinations could occur if another GM decides to swing in a different direction.
And Graham also must decide if he wants to be the risk taker. Point guards Kingston Flemings and Darius Acuff Jr. are bubble options for the top five in this draft class. And many Illinois fans in the city might encourage Graham to take a long look at Keaton Wagler as an outside contender for the No. 4 pick.
The likelihood is very low that Graham would use the No. 4 pick on one of those players, but the research is important — both to inform his final decision and to provide context when teams inevitably make offers for the Bulls to trade back.
The Bulls’ second first-round pick is where things get more interesting. By the time No. 15 rolls around, this class will have broken wide open into an array of promising talent with few guarantees. This stage of the draft is where Graham’s acumen as a talent identifier will be tested.
At this stage in the rebuilding process, the Bulls aren’t looking for fit when it comes to draft prospects. Graham made that mindset explicitly clear during his media availability after Sunday’s lottery. That means they will be searching for the best athlete and prospect available at No. 15, not necessarily the best fit to play alongside Matas Buzelis or Josh Giddey — or even to complement the No. 4 pick.
When executives start this type of reconstruction, they have to take on the mentality of a prospector mining for precious metals. For the first few years, it’s all about trying to locate and cultivate the top talent available. Eventually the Bulls will need to mold their roster to a cohesive vision — and they probably shouldn’t take two players who would outright duel for the same position, such as two on-ball point guards or two non-shooting centers — but right now, Graham and his staff are just focused on striking gold.
Graham’s stated preference for players who fit the SLAP acronym (size, length, athleticism and physicality) serves as a helpful guidepost in the scouting process. This class offers a wealth of flawed yet intriguing wings who could fit that bill in the middle of the first round.
Tennessee’s Nate Ament is a stretchy, 6-foot-10 wing who needs to use this week to prove his poor outing against Michigan in the Elite Eight was an anomaly caused by an ankle injury. The Bulls could take a gander at Texas wing Dailyn Swain, although they would need to convince themselves they could fix his jumper. Baylor’s Cameron Carr is similarly promising, but his 175-pound frame is a concern.
The Bulls also could look to go big with their second pick. Aday Mara — a 7-3 standout in Michigan’s title run — would be an intriguing center prospect if he fell to No. 15. Washington’s Hannes Steinbach is projected to fall in this range, but his lack of versatility as a 6-11 big who doesn’t play center might keep him off the Bulls’ big board. Italy’s Luigi Suigo, Santa Clara’s Allen Graves and the Michigan pair of Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. are also worth watching in this category.
Graham also could be on the lookout for a new point guard. His description of an ideal Bulls player doesn’t particularly align with Giddey, whose lack of athleticism and defensive weaknesses might be a poor fit for the new executive’s vision. The Bulls are unlikely to draft a point guard at No. 4, which means they should scout playmaking guards such as Louisville’s Mikel Brown, Arizona’s Brayden Burries, Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. and Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie for the No. 15 pick.
With 42 days until the draft, this week is only the first step of the extensive research project that will accompany Graham’s ultimate decisions — setting the stage for the next chapter of Bulls basketball.
