The Chicago Bulls will be one of the lightning poles of speculation between now and the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23.
They got some massive luck in the Draft Lottery, bumping all the way up from ninth overall to fourth. In a draft class with a clearly-defined top-four, it's difficult to overstate what a massive victory that is. Chicago now has a number of paths in front of them.
They can attempt to trade up to first or second-overall in order to get their shot at AJ Dybantsa. Such a move would require parting with, at the very least, their pick at 15th overall. They can also attempt to trade down, amassing future draft capital to help augment their ongoing rebuild.
The latter of these options has gotten ample airtime recently, largely as a result of the Bulls' recent string of pre-draft workouts. Chicago has visited with a number of guards projected to go in the middle of the lottery, including Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, and Kingston Flemings. Chicago's long-term plans for Josh Giddey are uncertain, and as such, there's certainly room for them to seek out a point guard if they were to trade out of fourth overall.
As intriguing as this speculation can be, however, all this noise obscures what is ultimately the Bulls' best route in the Draft. If they can land Caleb Wilson at fourth overall, they'll be able to grab a more-than-viable guard at 15th.
Bulls could come away from this Draft with a pair of top talents simply by staying put
If a team offers a hefty package to allow the Bulls to trade down from fourth overall, it's certainly something they should consider. But let's take a look at what they could realistically get by staying in place at fourth and 15th overall.
The landscape at fourth overall is relatively clear. Chicago would simply select whoever from this class's top-four— Dybantsa, Wilson, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson— drops to them. Given the needs of the three teams above them, it wouldn't be surprising in the least if Wilson dropped to the Bulls there, leaving them with a sizable, offensively-skilled forward to build around.
At 15th overall, things become significantly less clear. There likely won't be a premier, ball-handling point guard available in that range either. But the Bulls could still gain a major addition to their backcourt.
Cameron Carr, the agile, perimeter-shooting wing out of Baylor, would likely be available. He has major upside as a perimeter defender, and skill-set would be a perfect fit for what Chicago needs next to Giddey. Christian Anderson Jr. out of Texas Tech would also be an option. He's more of a bona-fide point guard, having average a conference-leading 7.4 assists last season. Bennett Stirtz out of Iowa could also be a viable swing.
If the Bulls were to trade down, they could feasibly come away with a combination of Wagler/Acuff/Flemings, a skilled forward, and additional future draft capital. But that's not necessarily their ideal path, and the recent trade speculation only serves to obscure that fact.
Add us as a preferred source on Google