Dailyn Swain didn’t sugarcoat his first NBA Summer League game. The Chicago Bulls rookie out of Texas finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 22 minutes against Memphis on Friday. The Bulls lost 97-96. That stat line isn’t terrible, but Swain knew something was off.
Speaking to reporters during a Summer League practice, Swain admitted he was fighting himself more than the Grizzlies. He called himself “super uptight” while trying to play point guard, a role that doesn’t come naturally to him. Swain is primarily a shooting guard and forward, but the Bulls are testing him as a ball-handler and playmaker.
“It wasn’t really fun for me, I was just so in my head,” Swain said, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls. “Next game, it will be more about enjoying it.”
That kind of honesty is rare for a rookie. Most guys blame the speed of the game or say they need more reps. Swain just flat-out said he was in his own head. And honestly, that’s probably the right diagnosis. Summer League is as much about mental adjustment as physical talent, especially for a guy being asked to do something new.
What the Bulls Are Asking of Swain
The Bulls front office, led by VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham, has a thing for a certain player profile. They call it SLAP — size, length, athleticism, physicality. Swain, at 6-foot-7, fits that mold. But they’re not just hoping he slots in as a 3-and-D wing. They’re trying to turn him into a versatile creator, someone who can run offense and make decisions on the move.
That’s a big ask for a 21-year-old who just finished his last season at Texas averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 54.2% from the field and 34.4% from three, so the raw numbers are there. But running point in a pro setting is different. It’s reading NBA-level help defense, managing pace, and not panicking when the shot clock gets low.
Swain was the No. 15 pick in the 2026 draft, so the Bulls have some investment here. They’re not looking for him to be a finished product in July. They just want to see progress. The first game wasn’t that. The next one might be.
Next Up: Utah Jazz on Monday
The Bulls play Utah on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Swain will likely get another long look, and maybe this time he’ll relax a little. He brings rim pressure, shooting, defensive versatility and some playmaking chops — if he lets them show. The talent isn’t the question. It’s whether he can get out of his own way long enough to let it breathe.
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