Caleb Wilson to Chicago. The Bulls Finally Have Their Explosive Big Man.

The Chicago Bulls just finished one of their most consequential drafts in years. And for once, the front office didn’t overthink it.

With the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they grabbed North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. The 6-foot-9 forward-center is bouncy in a way the Bulls have not been since maybe prime Joakim Noah. He posted a 39.5-inch max vertical at the combine, blocks shots like he’s on a vendetta, and runs the floor like a wing. He’s also got legitimate post moves and a mid-range jumper that scouts called the best of any big man in this class. The comps flying around? Evan Mobley. Kevin Garnett. That kind of company.

The Bulls have spent years playing through Nikola Vucevic, who gave them steady minutes but never made anyone forget about vertical spacing. Wilson changes that immediately. Pair him with Matas Buzelis, who emerged last season as a high-flying isolation scorer at the three, and Chicago suddenly has two guys who can live above the rim. That’s a problem for the rest of the East.

Wilson was the best player on the board after AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer went 1-2-3. The Bulls didn’t reach. They just took the obvious pick and it was the right one.

Dailyn Swain at No. 15? Yeah the Bulls Had a Plan

At pick No. 15, Chicago went with Texas guard-forward Dailyn Swain. On paper it looked like a reach. Most mock drafts had him going around No. 20. But the deeper story is that Swain was the only high-major player last season who led his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He does everything. He’s 6-foot-8, moves fluidly through traffic, and plays unselfishly. He’ll come off the bench behind Buzelis at first but don’t bet against him cracking the starting lineup by midseason. He’s that kind of connector piece.

Some fans wanted Cameron Carr or Christian Anderson Jr. with this pick. But the Bulls clearly valued Swain’s two-way versatility over raw scoring upside. And given how the roster is constructed right now — young, hungry, positionless — Swain fits the vibe.

Two More Pieces and a New Direction

The Bulls also picked up Purdue guard Braden Smith in a trade with the Pacers and added Russian wing Vsevolod Ishchenko via a deal with the Mavericks. Neither is a household name, but both help fill out a roster that’s clearly pivoting away from veteran patchwork toward internal development. The front office, now led by President Bryson Graham and coach Thiago Splitter, is building for the long haul.

They also added Nic Claxton in free agency, which gives them another long, mobile defender who can switch onto guards and protect the rim. That core of Wilson, Buzelis, Swain, and Claxton is not a playoff team this year. But it’s a group that can run. In transition, with multiple athletes attacking the rim at once, this Bulls team is going to be annoying to play against in ways Chicago hasn’t been in a decade.

Overall grade for the night: A-. The Bulls didn’t swing for the fences on a risky project. They took the best big man in the draft, added a versatile glue guy, and kept stocking the pipeline. That’s how you climb out of the lottery for good.