The Chicago Bulls can thank the basketball gods for giving them the Nos. 4 and 15 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Acquiring a third top-15 selection would accelerate their offseason — and their rebuild.
New Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham may have experienced some beginner's luck when his team leapt five spots on lottery night. Already armed with the 15th pick, courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers, Graham is set up beautifully to acquire two franchise cornerstones.
But things could get even more interesting if Graham is willing to take a bold swing and acquire a second lottery selection in one of the most anticipated drafts of this century. And the opportunity to do it is there.
Bulls rebuild starts with two top-15 picks in 2026 NBA Draft
Nothing is set in stone, but it appears North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson could slide right into Chicago's lap at No. 4. He fits perfectly with Graham's SLAP (size, length, athleticism, physicality) preferred player archetype. But what happens at 15 will be equally as important.
It should be a best-player-available approach for the Bulls this summer; no one on this roster is untouchable, not even ascending second-year forward Matas Buzelis. There's no need to worry about which players would complement Buzelis or Wilson if he is indeed the pick at No. 4.
Baylor wing Cameron Carr, Michigan big Morez Johnson, Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance and boom-or-bust Tennessee forward Nate Ament would make sense as mid-first round selections.
But what if Chicago could add a third foundational prospect? The new draft lottery rules make it a distinct possibility, as outlined by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).
Acquiring another lottery pick should be on the table for Bulls
The NBA will implement a new "3-2-1" draft lottery system beginning in 2027. The goal is to discourage tanking by lowering the odds that one of the league's three worst teams lands the first overall pick.
That means the teams with the fourth through 10th worst records actually have a better chance at winning the lottery than teams 1 through 3. Teams 11 through 16 also have a shot at No. 1. The consensus is that first-round picks will now be more valuable, given that more than half the league has a shot at earning that precious first overall selection.
The Bulls have access to all of their first-round picks moving forward. Would a team like the Dallas Mavericks, who are light on future draft assets and on a timeline built around 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, be willing to give up the No. 9 pick for a couple of future firsts? If fewer teams are willing to deal them, Chicago would have a leg up over a good chunk of the league.
The 2027 draft is projected to be far weaker than this year's; the ninth pick this summer may end up being equivalent to, say, the fourth pick next year. Is it worth grabbing a defensive anchor like Michigan center Aday Mara or a two-way guard like Arizona's Brayden Burries in exchange for the possibility of landing a better pick in a weaker 2027 class?
The answer is yes.
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