The Chicago Bulls seem to be sharpening their focus when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Chicago Bulls reportedly hosted another round of private, pre-draft workouts ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Bulls are in the rare--for them--position of having a "splashy" draft on the way as they possess multiple 1st round picks, one of six NBA teams with that distinction this draft (Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder).
Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham has been doing his due diligence this draft cycle, and the Bulls appear closer to having their top targets lined up internally. The aforementioned latest round of draft workouts saw Houston Cougars big man Chris Cenac Jr. as the featured participant.
Based off of early draft intel, there seems to be a strong possibility that the 6-foot-11 big is on the board when Chicago makes their second 1st round selection with the 15th overall pick.
In terms of players who played center for Chicago over the 2025-26 season, only Jalen Smith is currently under contract.
Nick Richards (9.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 0.9 BPG) and Guerschon Yabusele (10 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 38% 3-PT) did solid jobs filling in at the center spot for the Bulls last season. They each brought something different and valuable to the table, as Richards was a decent shot-blocker and rim-runner despite some troubles holding onto the ball.
Yabusele was undersized for the five but had the strength and floor-spacing ability to at least give opposing defenses a different look.
These players--including Smith--are all helpful in various ways but don't possess the ceiling to make them obvious core players. That is why the news of Cenac having a pre-draft workout for the Bulls is not shocking whatsoever.
Cenac would fit tremendously in Chicago from both a needs and likely, a "best player available" scenario as well.
The 15th pick is the first post-lottery--top 14 picks--spot and would make a ton of sense for Cenac following a solid albeit unimpressive lone year at Houston. He averaged 9.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG and shot 33.3% from 3-point range in just under 25 minutes per game.
There is no guarantee that he will be on the board at 15th overall, with the Hawks, Hornets, Mavericks and Golden State Warriors all being teams that could conceivably use frontcourt help, and have picks in the 8-to- 14 range.
In his lone year at Houston, Cenac flashed the oh-so-coveted ability to be a strong rim protector who also spaces the floor on offense. He often played next to an old-school, physical big who did not take jumpers, so we will see Cenac working with more operating space than he is used to at the NBA level.
In the confines of Houston's offense, he shot 33.3% from 3-point range, taking 6.1 attempts from 3-pt range per 100 possessions. His 62% FT shooting makes it tough to say with certainty the jumper will come along, but the fact that he wasn't averse to taking them is a positive sign.
The biggest strength for Cenac at this moment is he is a monster on the glass. His rebounding figures to translate Day 1 in the league, and likely stands as a reason the Bulls have legitimate interest in him. He posted a 26.1% Defensive Rebound Rate at Houston, while also being a handful on the offensive boards as well (5.6 OREB per 100 possessions).
In Chicago, Cenac would likely get a crack at a starting role right away. At the very least, he would figure to play a central role in the Bulls' long-term frontcourt. Assuming the pick at No. 4 overall is Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer, Chicago could enter next season with enough youth, length and versatility to allow the next head coach install a solid defensive identity right away.
