It hasn’t happened yet, but soon, fans of certain teams will start paying more attention to the NBA draft than the standings. For Chicago Bulls supporters, that moment might not arrive until April, given the team’s usual flirtation with the play-in range.
Nonetheless, the coming weeks could play a huge role in determining the Bulls’ future. As it has been well-documented, Chicago has seven players on expiring contracts, meaning its roster could look completely different next season. In the meantime, several of those players could be moved ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
That’s a lot of “what ifs,” but that’s the NBA. Hypotheticals never end. What we can do, however, is take a pragmatic look at the 2026 draft class. The Bulls will undoubtedly be selecting a prospect in the late lottery. While that may seem pessimistic, it reflects the reality. Chicago is currently 10th in the Eastern Conference, a position unlikely to shift given the team’s net rating and upcoming strength of schedule.
Jayden Quaintance: The perfect fit in Chicago
In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance is projected to the Bulls at eighth overall. Quaintance’s numbers don’t jump off the page. He’s averaged just 5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 16.5 minutes per game for the Wildcats. However, he’s played in just four games since returning on December 20 from a torn ACL.
Quaintance even sat out Kentucky’s 92-68 win over Mississippi State this past weekend due to what Coach Mark Pope described as knee swelling. It’s a concerning development that will be closely watched throughout the season.
Still, Quaintance is a premier prospect. A sophomore just 18 years old (he won’t turn 19 until July 11), he wasn’t even eligible for last year’s draft as a 17-year-old. His youth makes him an even more compelling prospect. In 24 games last season, all starts, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor.
Moreover, Quaintance is exactly the type of player the Bulls should be targeting. At 6-foot-10, 255 pounds, he’s an excellent athlete—both a potent lob threat to pair with Josh Giddey and a potential defensive anchor, having averaged 2.6 blocks per game last season. Chicago has long sought a player who can score efficiently around the rim while shoring up its interior defense. Quaintance has the potential to be just that.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, who authored the mock draft, shared a similar view of Quaintance, calling him a long-term replacement for 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic (who could be on his way out ahead of the trade deadline) and a strong fit alongside Giddey. Giddey, signed for the next three seasons and still just 23, provides a terrific pick-and-roll partner for Quaintance, who hasn't shown much of an advanced offensive game.
The Kentucky product is truly a play-finisher. He scores on lobs, putbacks, and from the dunker spot. Don’t expect Quaintance to shoot from the perimeter (career 6-of-32 from three), score in the post, or operate as a short-roll playmaker… yet. But at 18, his potential is limitless. He shows shades of Bam Adebayo and Onyeka Okongwu in his game, and neither big man stood out as a playmaker or floor-spacer in their lone collegiate seasons.
Chicago has recently taken the approach of using its first-round picks on younger, raw prospects, and that trend appears set to continue. After drafting long, versatile wings in back-to-back drafts, Quaintance would be an ideal backline defender to bolster the Bulls’ defense.