The Chicago Bulls walked out of the NBA Draft with a blue-chip prospect, a trade sweetener, and a front office that actually seems to know what it’s doing. That hasn’t always been the case around here.
With the No.4 pick they grabbed North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, a 6-foot-10 kid who checks every box on Bryson Graham’s SLAP acronym: Size, Length, Athleticism, Physicality. Wilson is the kind of versatile big who can score inside, defend the rim, and run the floor with guards. He’s not a project. He’s ready to contribute right away, and that matters for a team that has been spinning its wheels for years.
At No.15 they took Dailyn Swain out of Texas, a two-way guard who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. Swain defends, cuts, passes, and lets the game come to him. That’s a useful skill set on a roster that still has to figure out its pecking order. They also traded Purdue’s Braden Smith to Indiana for guard Kam Jones, cash, and second-round picks. Not a headline-grabber, but it added depth without sacrificing anything critical.
The Bulls hired Graham as VP of Basketball Operations back in May, and he’s wasted no time tearing down what wasn’t working and building something that might. His SLAP philosophy isn’t just a catchy acronym. It’s a filter for every prospect they evaluate. Size matters. Length matters. Athleticism and physicality are non-negotiable. Andre Bass Jr. of Roundtable Sports reported that Graham has been emphatic about this approach since day one.
They also hired Tiago Splitter as head coach. Splitter just led Portland to a surprise playoff run, and his emphasis on development, spacing, and quick decision-making fits exactly what the Bulls need. After years of sluggish basketball from one of the league’s most marketable franchises, that feels like a shift in direction. Ownership and management have been stuck in the past. Now they’re taking actual steps forward.
There’s money and moves still to come
Let’s be real for a second. The Bulls are not a playoff team right now. Not yet. But they have a young core that’s interesting: Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith, Tre Jones, and Isaac Okoro. Add Wilson and Swain, and you’ve got depth. Wilson in particular gives Giddey and Buzelis a lob target in transition. Imagine Wilson throwing it down off a Giddey alley-oop, or Buzelis returning the favor on the other end.
Financially, the Bulls are in great shape. They have $54 million in cap space, the most of any NBA team. That money is almost certainly going to be used to absorb bad contracts in exchange for future picks. That’s how you stockpile assets without tanking for years.
They already made one move. Chicago got center Nic Claxton in a three-way deal with Minnesota and Brooklyn. Claxton brings rim protection and aggressive defense to a paint that’s been soft for too long. They also picked up a $2.4 million team option for Leonard Miller, who played well in 27 games after arriving from Minnesota. Him and Rob Dillingham give the second unit scoring, rebounding, and catch-and-shoot capability. It’s what happens when young players actually get minutes.
So yeah, Bryson Graham has reason to feel good about where this thing is headed. The 2026-27 season is going to be a grind. But it’s the kind of grind that might actually pay off.
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