The Chicago Bulls leapt five spots and miraculously came away from lottery night with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. New executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham already knows exactly what he wants to do with that selection: Begin building a roster with size, length, athleticism and physicality.
Or in his words, SLAP.
"We want obviously two-way players," Graham said in his introductory press conference per NBA.com. "I refer to it as guys who have SLAP. Size, length, athleticism and physicality is going to be felt on the defensive side of the ball."
He has a chance to create that culture in Chicago sooner than he must've anticipated.
Bryson Graham wants Bulls to have size, length, athleticism, physicality
The "who" is to be determined, although North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson seems like the kind of SLAP player you'd build in NBA 2K.
But Graham — who drafted Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans — has a type.
Murphy III is one of the NBA's premier 3-and-D forwards. Jones is a 6-foot-7 wing who was named first-team All-Defense in 2023-24. Daniels, also 6-foot-7 (with a 6-10 wingspan), is a defensive wizard at the point of attack.
It's no coincidence Graham referenced the Boston Celtics as an inspiration for building the Bulls' roster. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are all big, strong, physical and interchangeable on defense.
"They have so much versatility, so much size, and that’s where this league is going and what the really good teams are doing. That’s going to be our approach," Graham said. "We want to be tough and long and athletic."
If all goes to plan, the Bulls will SLAP the NBA. (Sorry. Low-hanging fruit.)
North Carolina's Caleb Wilson fits Graham's vision perfectly
The 2026 draft has long had a consensus top three: In some order, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cam Boozer. Wilson has been creeping his way closer to breaching that group, if he hasn't already.
One of those four is going to be on the board for the Bulls on June 23. Perhaps aside from Dybantsa, Wilson fits Graham's vision most.
The Tar Heels star averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks during his lone season in Chapel Hill.
At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan, a non-stop motor and a determination to punish the rim at every opportunity, Wilson brings those SLAP traits. His intensity and aggression must only endear him to Graham even more.
The freshman All-American was expected to be off the board by the time the Bulls, who had a 20.3 percent chance of landing in the top four, were on the clock. Maybe the basketball gods felt sorry for fans. Or maybe it's just a new leader bringing a fresh approach to Chicago.
Whatever the case, Graham should be slapping (sorry, it's still just right there) the table with joy.
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