The Bulls came out of the 2026 NBA Draft cycle with real upside at the top, but their handling of the second round left a different kind of conversation hanging over the rebuild.
Landing Caleb Wilson at No. 4 after jumping up in the Draft Lottery gave Chicago a shot at a franchise-changing talent, and Wilson backed that up with strong offensive flashes in summer league. Dailyn Swain didn’t produce much on that end during Summer League, but the Bulls still see the makings of a long-term 3-and-D fit. Add in Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka after the draft, and there’s at least a case that Chicago added pieces that can matter.
The issue is what the Bulls chose not to keep.
Chicago dealt away both of its second-round picks, and in the end got only cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers for one of them. That decision has drawn criticism, especially with the NBA Draft landscape changing in the NIL era but still leaving second-rounders as useful assets for teams willing to be patient and creative.
The Oklahoma City Thunder offered a sharp contrast. After trading Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks, they piled up seven second-round selections in a summer full of moves. That kind of accumulation is exactly why Chicago’s approach looks so questionable in comparison.
The Bulls also sent the 38th pick to the Indiana Pacers for Kam Jones, then waived Jones just days later. Their 56th overall pick went to the Lakers for cash. Lead executive Bryson Graham said the team didn’t have any second-round prospects that generated much intrigue, and that explanation at least makes sense on its face.
Still, the bigger picture matters. Chicago has 11 second-round picks between now and 2033, and if this rebuild is going to work, those picks have to become something more than empty placeholders. They can be bundled to move up, flipped for role players, or used to keep the roster stocked with cheap talent.
The Thunder, who already have one of the league’s most respected front offices, also hold 11 second-rounders over that same span. Even this year, when many thought they might pass on the pick to preserve a roster or two-way spot, they used it on defensive-minded wing Otega Oweh out of Kentucky.
That’s the standard Chicago has to meet. The Bulls need to treat draft capital like a real weapon, not something to give away lightly.
Their top-end talent haul was strong. Their second-round strategy was not.
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Wilson backed up the eye test with strong all-around production across four games, showing scoring punch, rebounding and shot-blocking while also stretching the floor from deep. He also pointed to free throw shooting as an area to clean up, but the bigger takeaway for Bulls fans is simpler: there is already a reason to keep watching him closely. [Read more 🡒]
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Sellers arrived with a scoring rsum from Providence and then flashed enough in Las Vegas to stay on the radar, which is exactly the sort of path that can lead to real minutes for a team willing to mine for value. For the Bulls, the question is whether that production translates into a role this season, because if it does, Graham may have found another overlooked contributor. [Read more 🡒]