The Chicago Bulls, needless to say, had an exciting first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
They first added Caleb Wilson at fourth overall, a result of their jump in the Draft Lottery. At 6'9" and 210 lbs, the athletic forward out of North Carolina has a real chance to be Chicago's two-way star of the future. They then added Dailyn Swain out of Texas at 15th overall. Although there are some who would call that pick a reach, the upside of Swain's two-way skill-set is immense.
But with a pair of picks looming in the second round, the Bulls evidently felt they could cut things off. Just minutes before the start of Day 2 of the Draft, they agreed to trade the 56th overall selection to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for cash considerations.
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring No. 56 from the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft tonight at 8 pm ET on ESPN. Lakers sent cash to the Bulls to get a pick tonight.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2026
Bulls move off of their final pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
For a team like the Bulls, who in the past months signaled their intentions to enter a full-scale rebuild and are in dire need of young talent, moving off of a second-round pick without yielding additional draft capital might seem like a strange move.
But in the modern NIL era, the chances of finding a player in that range who can contribute immediately are slim. Granted, the Golden State Warriors pulled it off last year with their selection of Will Richard at 56th overall. But in general, more talented players who would usually populate the second round are enticed to return to college for as long as they are able.
Chicago has also already taken great strides toward filling out their roster over the past few days. They added Nic Claxton in a three-team trade between the Brooklyn Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and both of their first-round selections should have major roles to play in their rookie campaigns. Add in the return of Noa Essengue from injury and whatever pieces are added with the rest of the Bulls' financial flexibility this offseason, and the roster is suddenly looking much deeper.
Depending on what the Bulls' intentions are for 2026-27, and in consideration of the new Draft Lottery rules, it's hard to see a path to the 56th overall pick making an immediate impact outside of a trade-up opportunity.
They also have the 38th overall pick in this Draft, and there are a number of talented college players who can be added in that range, particularly in the backcourt. While second-round picks can (obviously) be moved at short notice, one would assume there will be a prospect there that Chicago thinks can help round off their class of Wilson and Swain.
Add us as a preferred source on Google