Consensus thinking among the 2026 NBA Draft zeitgeist expects the Chicago Bulls to select University of North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
That same zeitgeist categorizes Wilson with Brigham Young University forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke University forward Cameron Boozer, and University of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson as the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Bulls will presumably start their 2026 NBA Draft night with a simple assignment: take the best player available in the draft at four. Assuming it’s a zeitgeist top prospect pick, box checked, mission accomplished.
The next Bulls 2026 NBA Draft mission after selecting fourth overall presumably transitions to the task of selecting the 15th overall pick in the draft. The objective for the Bulls must be to select a player who is a big, ready to contribute to the Bulls as a power forward, or center, or both.
The talent is too deep in the 2026 NBA draft for the Bulls to avoid front-court depth
The University of Michigan is well represented with projected mid-first round front-court prospects in center Aday Mara, forward Morez Johnson Jr., and forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
However, if presented with the opportunity to select University of Washington forward Hannes Steinbach with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Bulls should not pass up this opportunity. The Washington Huskies freshman led the nation across all NCAA Division-I men’s basketball programs in total rebounding with 11.8 rebounds per game, according to Sports Reference.
As a context refresher, the Huskies play their conference games in the Big Ten conference, which is traditionally a paint-dominant basketball conference, even in the “modern basketball” era of three-point shooting and pace.
University of Connecticut center Tarris Reed Jr. is another front-court prospect the Bulls should seriously consider with their mid-first-round 2026 NBA Draft pick.
In his four-year NCAA men’s basketball career, Reed Jr. has improved his shot blocking year over year and finished his NCAA career averaging 1.5 blocks per game, according to Sports Reference.
Frankly, the Bulls should consider whoever on the board is the best big available at 15 because they will have already acquired the best player available at four. The Bulls have the luxury of selecting a pick that skews more towards need as opposed to a pure talent upside bet.
Hopefully, the Bulls strike gold and find a big at 15 that has upside to be a long-term fit in the Bulls rebuild.
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