Keaton Wagler seems satisfied with where he's going to land in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the Chicago Bulls are a possibility.
The Illinois guard expects to go off the board at No. 4 to Chicago or No. 5 to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Keaton Wagler on meeting with the #Nets but cancelling a workout for Brooklyn. "After Chicago & then I was going to the #Clippers, that's 4 & 5. I think just hearing from them and kind of knowing where I stood, I just knew I didn't really need to go and work out." #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) June 22, 2026
North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is expected to be Chicago's selection at No. 4, but that hasn't stopped the links between the Bulls and Wagler.
ClutchPoints scribe Brett Siegel reported on June 9 that Chicago hopes to acquire a second top-10 pick, adding days later that the Bulls specifically want that pick so they can bring Wagler to the Windy City.
Whether the former Fighting Illini star just fanned those flames or snuffed them out altogether is up for interpretation — but he definitely spiced up the discussion.
Keaton Wagler reveals where he expects to land in the 2026 NBA Draft
Teams are always willing to draft a prospect they didn't meet with privately. The Utah Jazz, for instance, selected Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick last summer, and that's worked out swimmingly so far.
But the fact that Wagler is so confident about getting selected at No. 4 or No. 5 is intriguing — admittedly from the Clippers' point of view more than Chicago's — but intriguing nonetheless.
With so much certainty surrounding Wilson's status as a future Bull and the Clippers' position as the first team in line to nab the top player on their board outside of the Big Four, Wagler seems like a good bet to be in LA next year.
But don't count Chicago out just yet; there are machinations in which the Bulls go back-to-back with picks four and five to land both Wilson and Wagler.
Most simply, Chicago could package the No. 15 pick with some future assets and move up 10 spots — but that would take a significant haul.
The Sacramento Kings, who have been closely tied with Darius Acuff Jr., could get involved and move up from No. 7 to No. 5. That means Wagler could fall a few spots closer to 15 and give the Bulls a smaller bridge to gap. The Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks could pull off similar deals with LA.
If the Clippers work their way into a Bucks-Celtics trade and deal the No. 5 pick for Jaylen Brown, that would open up another slew of possibilities.
Is it likely that Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham takes such a risky swing during his first draft in charge? Probably not.
But if Graham believes Wagler could be a franchise cornerstone in Chicago, it shouldn't be ruled out.
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