Boozer Can’t Jump. The Bulls Should Trade Up for Him Anyway.

The Chicago Bulls finally did the smart thing. They blew it up.

They traded Nikola Vucevic. They let a roster full of guards who don’t fit together play out the string. They won 31 games, which felt like failure but turned into a gift. On lottery night, with just a 20.3 percent chance to crack the top four, they jumped five spots and landed the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Now comes the hard part. The top three are Arizona’s Caleb Wilson, Duke’s Cam Boozer, and a cluster of elite wings. The Bulls will almost certainly get Wilson at four, and he’s a legit 6’10” two-way forward. But here’s the thing: if they really want to fast-track a rebuild, they need to call Memphis and ask about moving up.

They need to figure out a way to land Cam Boozer.

The Boozer problem no one talks about

Let’s start with the obvious. Boozer isn’t a freak athlete. He doesn’t jump out of the gym. He’s 6’9″ with a polished offensive game and stats that scream star: 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 56/39/79 shooting splits. But scouts will tell you his first step is a half-step slow and he blocked 0.6 shots a game at Duke. That’s a red flag for rim protection at the next level.

Sound familiar? Luka Doncic heard the same criticism. So did Jokic. The question is whether Boozer’s feel for the game — his ability to read defenses, make the right pass, and score from three levels — outweighs the athletic ceiling. Some teams think yes. Others wonder if he’ll struggle finishing through length in the NBA.

But here’s what the Bulls should focus on: Boozer is the best passer in this draft. He’s the most skilled offensive player in this draft. And he’s a 39 percent three-point shooter on real volume. That’s a skill set that wins playoff games, not just regular season ones.

Illinois kid Keaton Wagler is a fallback worth chasing

If the Bulls strike out on Boozer — and the Wizards or Jazz could easily take him — they still have the 15th overall pick. That’s where Keaton Wagler comes in.

Wagler played one season at Illinois and immediately looked like a 10-year NBA guard. He’s 6’6″, composed, and hit threes at a high clip on high volume. He doesn’t force anything. He runs an offense like a veteran. And the fit next to Josh Giddey is genuinely interesting: Giddey is a bruising playmaker who needs the ball, while Wagler floats, spots up, and makes smart decisions without dominating possession. With Nic Claxton as the pick-and-roll lob threat, that backcourt could work.

The Bulls would have to trade up from 15 to get him. Wagler is getting top-10 buzz. But if they can pull it off, a lineup of Wagler, Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Wilson, and Claxton gives Chicago something it hasn’t had in years — a coherent young core with size, shooting, and two-way potential.

Fans need a reason to buy in after the teardown. Wagler, an Illinois product, would give them one. Boozer would give them a star. Either way, the Bulls should be on the phone right now.