Either Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer seems to be the Bulls' likely pick at No. 4 overall. Could Chicago try to trade up for a second top-10 selection?
The Bulls are primed to select their next franchise cornerstone with the No. 4 overall pick in this month's NBA Draft, whether that ends up being Caleb Wilson, Cameron Boozer or even Darryn Peterson. But it may be what Bryson Graham does with the rest of the team's picks that offers the most intrigue.
Chicago also possesses the No. 15 overall selection, which the Bulls got from the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2021 Lauri Markkanen trade. There could very well be some excellent prospects on the board when the lottery ends, but that doesn't mean Graham is willing to let the chips fall where they may.
According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the Bulls have reached out to other teams regarding a potential trade-up from No. 15 overall. ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel also reported that people around the league believe Chicago will explore moving into the 7-to-12 range and secure a second top selection.
That would require making a deal with either the Sacramento Kings (No. 7 overall pick), Atlanta Hawks (No. 8), Dallas Mavericks (No. 9), Milwaukee Bucks (No. 10), Golden State Warriors (No. 11) or Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 12).
Several prospects in that range could intrigue the Bulls, especially considering Graham's "SLAP" philosophy. The top end of that range could be 7-foot-3 Michigan big man Aday Mara, whose size would fill a critical positional need at Chicago's center position. If Graham wants length on the wing, he could opt for the Wolverines' Yaxel Lendeborg, Tennessee's Nate Ament, Texas' Dailyn Swain or Baylor's Cameron Carr.
However, there is a chance that Swain or Carr could drop to No. 15, meaning the Bulls would not need to sacrifice future draft capital to move up in the pecking order.
Graham could also see a frontcourt of Wilson/Boozer, Matas Buzelis and center du jour and decide that it may be best to pair a starting guard with Chicago's second pick. Players like Arizona's Brayden Burries, Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. and Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. are all projected to come off the board long before the Bulls draft again at No. 15, but if Graham thinks one of those is the right player for Chicago's rebuild, there shouldn't be any question that he'd try to get them.
Regardless of whether Graham moves up or stays put, Chicago is well-positioned to make a splash in this upcoming draft. In a class as deep as this one and four draft picks, the possibilities are endless for the Bulls to jump-start their next era.
