With the 2026 NBA Draft complete, the Chicago Bulls didn’t just leave with two talented prospects—they walked away with their first tangible step toward a new era.
After jumping from the projected ninth pick to fourth overall in the NBA Draft Lottery, Chicago capitalized on the opportunity by selecting North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
Pairing alongside the collegiate star, the Bulls added Texas wing Daylin Swain with the 15th overall selection, giving first-year general manager Bryson Graham two high-upside players to begin shaping the franchise’s future.
The anticipation surrounding Wilson’s selection had been building since Chicago’s surprising lottery jump. While some draft projections placed Wilson inside the top three, the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Memphis Grizzlies ultimately opted for more consensus selections, allowing the Bulls to land one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects at No. 4.
Caleb Wilson doesn’t flex the body of work that the first three selections demonstrated at the collegiate level, but his unique athleticism at 6 feet and 9 inches tall and 211 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, allowed Wilson to pair elite athleticism with defensive versatility, making him one of the highest-ceiling players in the class—keeping him comfortably within the top five of draft projections throughout the process.
Now looking at Swain, he entered the draft in a clustered group of wings projected anywhere from the late lottery into the middle of the first round. The Bulls ultimately selected him with the 15th overall pick, making him the first player chosen outside the lottery.
While many of the lofty expectations will fall on the back of Caleb Wilson, Swain possesses the type of athletic profile and two-way potential that organizations covet when investing in long-term projects.
In his 36 games at Texas, Swain averaged 17.3 points per game while displaying downhill slashing ability that allows him to put pressure on teams in the paint. His long strides, functional ball handling, and explosiveness allow him to attack the rim with confidence, but questions remain beyond the arc.
As of now, stretching the floor is not his strong suit. His release is slower and his mechanics need refinement in order to build consistency and confidence in those situations. Still, the transition to NBA spacing and player development could help unlock another dimension of his offensive game.
The selections of Wilson and Swain also hold more weight as they mark the official beginning of the Bryson Graham era in Chicago.
This offseason, the Bulls pivoted with the hiring of Graham as general manager and Tiago Splitter as head coach, stepping away from Artūras Karnišovas after a turbulent six-year tenure.
The previous regime produced just one winning season and failed to win a single playoff series, leaving fans frustrated by a franchise that consistently found itself caught between competing and rebuilding.
Graham and Splitter are young and lacking the resume of top candidates, but they were highly-touted across the league due to their strong reputations.
Splitter stepped in as the interim Head Coach for the Portland Trailblazers in 2025, leading them to the 7th seed in the Western Conference. He’s been praised for his basketball IQ and on the floor coaching, with value leading the development of players—a necessity as the Bulls hold a surplus of young talent.
As for Graham, he is only 39 years old with a knack for finding talent in the draft across his time with the New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks—Trey Murphy III (17th overall pick), Herbert Jones (35th overall pick), Dyson Daniels (8th overall pick), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17th overall pick).
After spending 15 seasons with New Orleans—including serving as the franchise’s general manager during the 2024-25 season—Graham now has the opportunity to lead the Bulls into their next chapter.
The organization’s overhaul should feel familiar for Chicago sports fans as well.
Just one year ago, the Chicago Bears embraced a similar philosophy by hiring Ben Johnson despite his lack of previous head coaching experience, betting that innovation and fresh leadership could change the trajectory of the franchise.
The Bulls are now making a comparable investment in Graham and Splitter, hoping their reputations for talent evaluation and player development can spark a long-awaited turnaround.
While it’s far too early to determine, they seem to have taken a step in the right direction. Rather than clinging to the middle ground that defined much of the previous era, Chicago has committed to building around a young core led by Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and this year’s lottery selection in Caleb Wilson.
Whether this new era succeeds will play out over the course of the next few seasons, not on draft night. Yet, for the first time in what feels like a millennium for Bulls fans, they have a clear direction.
With Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter inheriting a franchise that has spent much of the last decade searching for an identity, they now have an opportunity to shape one.
With Caleb Wilson’s star potential, Daylin Swain’s upside, and a young core that already includes Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, Chicago has assembled the foundation for a sustainable rebuild. Even so, potential doesn’t add to a win total.
The Bulls must now prove this new direction can translate into the consistent success that has long eluded this once flourishing franchise.
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