Despite making some overdue changes, the Chicago Bulls still need all the help they can get to become contenders again. Thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers' win over the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, they're getting it in the form of an extra first-round pick.
And in a rare stroke of luck for Chicago, that pick will convey in this summer's loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
Trail Blazers just handed Bulls a critical draft asset
The Bulls landed this selection in the 2021 trade that sent Lauri Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers. For reasons that remain unclear, the Trail Blazers jumped into the deal to make it a three-teamer, sending a lottery-protected first-rounder to Chicago to acquire Larry Nance Jr.
Nance didn't become the missing piece that Portland had hoped. Certainly not one worthy of a first-round pick.
But the Blazers' loss is now the Bulls' gain — and a significant one at that.
In addition to their own 2026 lottery pick (the Bulls have the ninth-best odds of landing the top selection), a second opportunity to grab a potential star could have huge implications. Getting two bites at the apple this summer — good, solid, tasty bites too — means Chicago has two chances to accelerate the rebuild the fanbase has been begging for.
Add in a pair of second-round picks, one of which lands at No. 38, and it just became a more intriguing summer for an organization experiencing a significant amount of turnover.
Not to mention, it would make the new head of basketball operations position more enticing for the elite candidates.
The Bulls need to nail the 2026 NBA Draft
Chicago is expected to have the most cap space of any team in the league this offseason. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are set as franchise cornerstones. Noa Essengue, the Bulls' lottery pick in last year's draft, should be healthy and recovered from a shoulder injury when next season tips off.
Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller, both acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Ayo Dosunmu trade, have at times shown that they have a long-term future in the Windy City.
But that's not enough. It will take more moves and smart decisions to build a competitive, sustainable roster.
With two likely top-15 picks, the second courtesy of the Blazers, the Bulls will have a chance to start something special — especially in a draft class as stacked as this one.
They just can't blow it.
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