Already armed with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls are reportedly willing to make an aggressive move and trade for a second top-10 selection. They could dangle Noa Essengue as bait to pull it off and land Keaton Wagler, according to FanSided's Christopher Kline.
In his most recent mock draft, Kline details a potential trade that sees the Bulls acquire the No. 6 pick from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a package centered around Essengue and the No. 15 pick.
Chicago nabbed Essengue with the 12th pick in last year's draft, and despite missing most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury, giving up on such a high-upside prospect so soon would be a bold decision.
But the chance to land a potential franchise point guard in Wagler is too good an opportunity to pass up.
Bulls acquire No. 6 pick from Nets, select Keaton Wagler in mock trade
Kline's full 3-team proposal looks like this:
Why the Brooklyn Nets make this trade
Brooklyn was surely hoping to have better lottery luck than this, but some elite guard prospects will still be on the board at No. 6. Unfortunately for the Nets, they drafted three of them in the first round last year and a fourth in the second.
The best-player-available approach still makes sense for a talent-starved franchise, but an unbalanced roster won't do any good for a team that doesn't control its own first-rounder next summer.
In this scenario, Brooklyn instead moves back and collects two top-15 selections plus Essengue, whom Kline mentions the Nets were interested in last year.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder make this trade
The Thunder jump in here to alleviate a roster crunch and swap this year's No. 12 selection for a future Bulls first. Given the uncertainty surrounding the future draft lottery format, it's a more valuable asset than it seems on the surface.
Grading the Wagler trade proposal for the Chicago Bulls
The most alluring part of this trade for the Bulls is easy to see: Wagler is arguably the most complete guard prospect in this draft outside of Darryn Peterson.
The 6-foot-5 Illinois product is smart enough, savvy enough and has enough shot creation in his bag to serve as a true floor general or play off the ball. Guards with that kind of positional size and versatility are rare.
He's an elite, elite 3-point shooter with a smooth stroke and quick release. He's crafty off the bounce — he's not explosive by any means, but his hesitation dribbles, stops and starts, and footwork help him get to his spots anyway.
Considering he's capable enough to play point guard, his ability as a spot-up shooter and secondary creator would make for a world-class offense.
Parting with two first-round picks and a young player like Essengue would be difficult, but the appeal of kicking off a rebuild with Wagler and potentially Caleb Wilson as the first two cornerstones may be too enticing to pass up.
Bulls trade grade: A
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