The Chicago Bulls want to play with size and physicality next season. If that is truly the case, then they can't go wrong drafting a Michigan Wolverines frontcourt prospect.
The Chicago Bulls are set to walk away from the 2026 NBA Draft in a great mood. They have the 4th, 15th, overall picks in the draft.
The No. 4 overall pick is almost all but decided at this point. Of course, new Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations should and will do his homework, and will consider all options at the four spot in the draft. But despite all of the different ways draft night could play out, the most likely option is that the Bulls take 6-foot-10 forward Caleb Wilson out of North Carolina, or 6-foot-9 forward Cameron Boozer out of Duke.
Chicago--in a rare occurrence for them--has a decent amount of draft capital. They rank 2nd in Tankathon's NBA Draft Power Rankings, as they possess the 38th and 56th overall picks in the second round, in addition to the 4th and 15th overall picks in the first round. Since the Bulls are almost guaranteed to get a prospect who fits Graham's "S.L.A.P." (Size Length Athleticism Physicality), I think they should continue that trend with the rest of their picks, specifically 15th overall.
With the 15th overall pick, I believe the Bulls should take a Michigan Wolverines big man. That's right, any of the (top 3) Michigan bigs in Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, or Morez Johnson.
Under Graham, Chicago presumably wants to be a team filled with two-way players. Specifically, the Bulls want players with plus wingspans, guys who can defend at a high level and players who aren't afraid of initiating contact on both sides of the ball. That is why selecting a player from the most physical college basketball team in the country makes sense.
This year, the Michigan Wolverines won the National Championship as a 1 seed, finishing the year at 37-3. The Wolverines took down UConn 69-63 in the title game, holding them to a 37.5% eFG%.
Michigan finished with a 28-16 advantage in free throw attempts in the title game, with a hobbled Yaxel Lendeborg finishing with 13 points (5-5 FTs), second on the team behind Elliot Cadeau's 19.
Morez Johnson led the Wolverines on the glass with 10 rebounds--five offensive rebounds--and shot a team-leading 71% from the field. In the title win, the Michigan frontcourt trio finished with a combined 33 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Johnson--the Chicago native--is a monster on the glass (11.7 rebounds per 40 minutes) and has great measurables at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Johnson projects to be an excellent switch defender at the NBA level, using his long arms to corral pick-and-roll ballhandlers and block passing lanes.
Johnson knows his limitations on offense and sticks to wrecking havoc around the basket, but Johnson shot 78.2% on free throws this season and flashed some perimeter shooting potential the NBA Draft Combine.
Lendeborg was the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year, averaging 15.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.2 APG and shooting a career-best 37.2% from the 3-point line.
Aday Mara, the 7-foot-3 big man out of Spain, had the weakest game of the trio in the title game. But Mara was instrumental in Michigan getting to the big game in the first place, dropping 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks in a 91-73 blowout win over the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four.
One of these three Michigan bigs will likely be available when the Bulls make their selection at 15th overall in the first round. I believe that any of the three of Mara, Johnson or Lendeborg, bring that type of physicality and toughness that the Bulls want to establish as their identity moving forward.
These three Michigan players all presumably help the Bulls get to the free throw line on offense, while cleaning the glass and providing rim protection on defense (all three players averaged at least a block per game).
If Chicago truly wants to change the team culture, then they can't go wrong drafting a big man from the reigning national champions.