The Chicago Bulls have a chance to set themselves up for the future at this year’s 2026 NBA Draft. After (almost certainly) selecting North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson at No. 4, they should trade up from the No. 15 pick and take Michigan’s Aday Mara. That would give them their frontcourt of the future.
They already have a solid lead guard in Josh Giddey in place. Matas Buzelis is there, too. Add in a solid shooting guard, and the Bulls would have their full, youth-movement starting five ready to go. Mara is a behemoth. He’s skilled with the ball and can play both ends of the court. He and Wilson would make a great pairing.
Maybe there’s a chance Mara falls to them at No. 15, but they shouldn’t take that risk. Chicago should trade up to secure him, and with him, their future frontcourt.
Bulls should trade up to select Aday Mara
Of the 10 mock drafts NBA.com looked at for their latest article, Mara slipped out of the lottery in just one of them. And in most mocks, he was projected to go in the 8-10 range.
That means, if the Bulls want to take him – which they should – they would need to trade up to get him. And based on the current state of their center position and the talent Mara possesses, it would be well worth it.
Mara was an absolute beast at Michigan this past year, and at 7-foot-3, he is going to immediately step into the league as one of the tallest centers. And Chicago could use the size.
In his 40 games at Michigan this past year (23.4 minutes), Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game. He shot 66.8% from the field.
Pairing Mara with Wilson in the frontcourt would immediately give Chicago one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league, and in a few years' time, it could be something special.
The question is, how do the Bulls trade up? Well, that requires one, finding a trade partner, and two, figuring out just how high up the board Mara is going to rise.
Attaching the right role player could perhaps get the Atlanta Hawks (No. 8) or Golden State Warriors (No. 11) to trade back, but the latter of those two options would require Mara falling to No. 11.
Perhaps if the Bulls attached a future first to their pick at No. 15, they could get another team in the top 10 to trade back, though that move would certainly carry some risk.
However, the Bulls have a chance to do something special here. Wilson and Mara would be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. It could be worth the risk.
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