The Chicago Bulls' choice at fourth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft will essentially be made for them, assuming they stay put.
This draft class has a clearly-defined top-four— AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. Obviously, the Bulls would love Dybantsa, but it appears highly unlikely he'll drop past the second-overall pick. Instead, they'll take whichever of Boozer and Wilson drops to them, and they'll be absolutely ecstatic about it.
The real work comes when Chicago comes on the board at 15th overall. This draft class is deep, and there will be plenty of talented prospects available in that range. It will be new lead executive Bryson Graham's first true opportunity to implement his 'SLAP' mentality— size, length, athleticism, and physicality.
In FanSided's recent NBA Mock Draft drawn up by Christopher Kline, the Bulls are slated to select Santa Clara forward Allen Graves. He matches this archetype exactly, and if he continues to rise up draft boards, he could quickly become draft crush for Graham.
Allen Graves meets all the requirements the Bulls will be seeking out in the 2026 NBA Draft
Here's what Kline had to say about Graves at 15th overall:
"If the Bulls double up on defense-minded forwards, Graves should complement Wilson well. He offers strength and maturity, whereas Wilson is a bouncy, world-consuming energizer bunny. Graves can also space the floor offensively, with flashes of slashing and in-between touch shots that hint at upside beyond his streamlined role in college. Graves will shine in analytics models and he could end up a lot higher than folks expect." Christopher Kline, FanSided
Although Graves primarily took on a bench role as a freshman at Santa Clara, his blend of athleticism, perimeter shooting, and disruptive defensive abilities was highly impressive. Across 35 games, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc on healthy volume.
There's certainly room for growth for Graves as both a playmaker and an on-ball defender. But at 6'9" with a seven-foot wingspan, it's hard to see a world in which Graves isn't an immediately impactful contributor in an NBA rotation.
The Bulls will certainly have a wide array of options if they choose to hold on to the 15th overall pick. There will likely be backcourt options like Cameron Carr, Labaron Philon Jr., and Christian Anderson Jr. Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance will likely also be available, and that could be a tempting route for a Chicago team in desperate need of a center.
But none of these prospects necessarily combines the traits that Graham is looking for in such a mature fashion. Graves, therefore, should be a prospect to watch at 15th overall for the Bulls.
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