After a challenging Summer League, Chicago must decide if G League reps can transform Dailyn Swain from a raw prospect into a versatile, downhill offensive creator.
Dailyn Swain entered the NBA with one of the more intriguing skill sets in the 2026 draft class.
At Texas, the 6-foot-8 wing was at his best with the ball in his hands. Swain averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 54.2% from the field. His ability to attack downhill, create his own shot and use his size against smaller defenders made the idea of developing him into a legitimate NBA ball-handler especially intriguing.
Then Summer League happened.
The Bulls essentially threw Swain into the fire in Las Vegas, asking him to operate as a de facto point guard on a roster without a natural floor general. Head coach Tiago Splitter wanted to see Swain create not only for himself but also initiate the offense and create opportunities for his teammates.
The results weren't pretty.
Swain averaged just 1.5 points on 11.5% shooting across four games and missed all nine of his three-point attempts. He frequently looked uncomfortable operating the offense and struggled to recreate the downhill scoring that made him such an intriguing prospect at Texas.
It's completely fair for Bulls fans to have some concerns about Swain's on-ball ability after that performance. But it's also important to remember what Chicago was asking him to do.
Mar 21, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) dunks against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn ImagesSwain isn't supposed to be a traditional point guard. The Bulls were intentionally stretching his game beyond what he was comfortable doing. The experience was meant to be difficult. Splitter and the rest of the coaching staff threw Swain into the fire as a developmental experiment to really see what their first-round pick could do.
That experiment shouldn't end because of one bad Summer League.
In fact, the Windy City Bulls could provide the perfect environment to continue it.
Chicago's wing and guard rotation is already crowded. Veterans Norman Powell and Isaac Okoro are ahead of Swain on the depth chart, while Josh Giddey, Tre Jones and Rob Dillingham will also command on-ball opportunities. There simply might not be enough NBA minutes early in the season to give Swain the developmental reps he needs.
With Windy City, there would be.
Rather than standing in the corner and playing limited minutes with Chicago, Swain could spend stretches as one of Windy City's primary offensive creators. Give him pick-and-roll possessions. Let him attack in isolation. Force him to read help defenders and make decisions with the basketball.
Summer League showed that Swain isn't ready to consistently create offense at the NBA level yet. That's okay. The Bulls do not need him to be ready right away. They can bring him up later in the season.
The more important question is whether Chicago can turn one of his biggest weaknesses into a strength.
Sending Swain to Windy City and putting the ball right back in his hands might be the best way to find out.
