The Chicago Bulls need to come away with a high-upside, potentially franchise-changing prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft — and Arizona guard Brayden Burries checks all the boxes.
Enough boxes, in fact, that Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (subscription required) has Burries going to the Bulls with the No. 10 pick in his latest 2026 mock draft.
Josh Giddey is entrenched as their franchise point guard, but the Bulls have an obligation to acquire talent wherever they can find it. While several guards have been shuffled in and out of the roster over the past month, none of them have played well enough to be sure-fire locks to stay in Chicago.
Burries is a highly skilled scorer, patient playmaker, and strong, active defender. He may not have Darryn Peterson's explosiveness or AJ Dybantsa's size, but his on-ball creation and high IQ would help him slot in snugly next to Giddey.
Brayden Burries is one of the best freshman guards in college basketball
Burries was the No. 9 overall prospect in the class of 2025 and the No. 2 combo guard. He landed at Arizona with offers from other top programs, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisville and Michigan. After a slow start with the Wildcats, he's blossomed into one of the best guards in the NCAA.
Burries is the leading scorer for the No. 2 team in the country. He's averaging 15.7 points on 49.5 percent shooting from the field and 37.6 percent shooting from 3-point range. Take the season's first five games out of the equation, and he's scoring 17.3 points per game on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from deep.
The 20-year-old is already a polished scorer at all three levels. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he's strong enough to finish through contact at the rim. He can stop and elevate from the mid-range. He's a good 3-point shooter off the dribble and off the catch.
Burries is a smart pick-and-roll ballhandler — he patiently probes the defense and works for the best possible shot, whether it's a pull-up three, a floater in the lane or a soft kiss off the glass. You won't speed him up or force him into a bad shot. He'll make the right pass and blend into the offense.
He's an excellent rebounder for a guard as well, grabbing 4.9 per game. His size, strength and effort make him a good defender, even if his lack of explosiveness holds him back from being an elite one.
A common NBA comp for Burries is Devin Booker.
Burries would fit well with the Bulls and Josh Giddey
While Giddey has made obvious improvements as a scorer, he's at his best pushing the ball in transition and making plays for others. As a smart, capable and willing passer, Burries has a little bit of that in him, which would make Chicago's backcourt versatile and difficult to defend. But his calling card is his ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
Burries would play off Giddey well as a spot-up shooter and second-side playmaker. When the Bulls need a bucket, he can create one for himself; Chicago currently lacks that skill set on its roster.
Ideally, Chicago gets some lottery luck and picks higher than 10th on draft night. But if things break this way, Burries would be a solid addition to a (finally!) rebuilding franchise.