With at least three picks in their pockets — including two in the top 40 — the Chicago Bulls are equipped to land some much-needed talent in the 2026 NBA Draft. The chances of that happening dip dramatically if they trade up to select Houston's Kingston Flemings.
That's just what Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley predicts the Bulls could do in a recent mock draft.
Buckley's story tosses out five trades that "would blow up" B/R draft expert Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock. Unfortunately, Chicago is involved in one of them — and not for making a brilliant maneuver.
Instead, the Bulls package multiple picks to move up two spots and select Flemings, a lead guard with intriguing traits, but also legitimate concerns.
Bulls trade three picks to Grizzlies, pick Kingston Flemings in mock deal
Buckley has Chicago sending a trio of draft selections and a veteran wing to the Memphis Grizzlies for the right to move up two spots. The trade, in its entirety, looks like this:
In his mock, Wasserman has Flemings going seventh overall to the Grizzlies and Chicago selecting Arizona guard Brayden Burries ninth. Here, the teams would swap rookies with a few other moving parts.
Why the Grizzlies make this trade
With all the uncertainty surrounding Ja Morant, it would frankly make sense for Memphis to just stay put at seven and take Flemings.
But why wouldn't the Grizzlies make this trade?
They move back only two spots, for their troubles collecting an early second-round pick and a lightly protected first-rounder three years from now. It would shock nobody if the Bulls are still picking in the lottery in 2029.
Add Okoro, a solid, rotational wing defender, and it's easy to see why Memphis would agree to this.
Bulls make massive mistake by trading up in 2026 NBA mock draft
This move isn't ideal.
Picking at No. 38 in a draft class as loaded as this is like picking at No. 28 in a normal year. Plus, any player selected in the second round is more economically valuable than one selected in the first.
The other problem with this scenario is Flemings.
The former Cougars' star is an exciting prospect. He's explosive enough to earn a Derrick Rose comparison. He's a true point guard in the way he runs an offense. He can create shots for teammates, is a willing passer, a hard-nosed defender and plays with competitive poise.
He can also go missing offensively for stretches. He's 6-foot-4 but generously listed at 190 pounds; he can get bullied by bigger players on defense and run into problems forcing tough shots against stronger players on offense.
Mid-range pull-ups make up a healthy chunk of his shot diet — he only attempted 2.9 3-pointers per game at Houston, not optimal for a player who has the ball in his hands as much as Flemings does.
For as quick as he is off the dribble, a concerning number of his shots came with a defender in close quarters.
Chicago should be hoarding draft capital right now, not haphazardly giving it away. And Burries is arguably a better fit for the Bulls anyway. Making this trade would be a(nother) disappointing move on the part of this front office.