Chicago head coach Tiago Splitter is impressed by how the No. 15 overall pick has improved since struggling this summer.
Chicago Bulls rookie Dailyn Swain was the No. 15 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, but his performance at the Las Vegas Summer League did not live up to its billing.
Across four games, Swain made just four of his 31 shot attempts — a measly 12.9% accuracy rate. The Texas product also turned the ball over seven times and committed 11 personal fouls, looking like a shell of the player that Chicago selected with its second first-round pick in June.
The Bulls' training camp began on Tuesday, and according to head coach Tiago Splitter, the difference in Swain's performance is "night and day" from this summer.
"He was not himself in Summer League; I think we all understand that," Splitter said, following the team's first official practice. "He's been great. He's going through the little step that rookies gotta do and he's doing a good job... He's producing for us. He's getting to the paint. He's finishing. I think he lacked confidence in Summer League, but right now, he's a different player. He's being aggressive, being himself, being the player that he was in college."
Splitter said that the Bulls spoke to Swain's college coaches and noted that he always needed some time to adapt to whatever level he was playing at. Swain began his career coming off the bench at Xavier before starting as a sophomore and transferring to Texas as a junior. His scoring and shooting efficiency improved between each of his three NCAA seasons.
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the fifteenth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Texas guard Dailyn Swain after he was selected by the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images It's because of that acclimation period that Splitter and Chicago were not worried after Swain struggled in Summer League, and Swain spent the time between then and now building his confidence.
"I think just learning from it, taking what I can get from it, there's good in every situation," Swain said. "Credit to my teammates and fellow rookies — Caleb [Wilson], [Jaylin] Sellers, Tobe [Awaka] — they all didn't let me dwell on it. Coach didn't either. We sat down about it, we focused on new goals, so it's been very easy to flip the page."
Swain said that Splitter, who played seven seasons in the NBA and won an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs, helped him move on from his Summer League struggles and focus on improving ahead of the season. The 21-year-old wing has been working on his shooting mechanics, taking care of the ball and finishing over more athletic players at the next level.
Splitter and executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham have both expressed interest in using the 6-foot-7 Swain as the Bulls' point guard. Swain's road to playing time as the ball-handler would be difficult, though, given that Josh Giddey and Tre Jones are projected to be higher on the totem pole for minutes.
Swain said he took on-ball reps on Tuesday, but expects to be ready for every situation, whether that's at point guard or on the wing.
While we can only take Splitter's praise at face value, Bulls fans will get the opportunity to see whether Swain has truly turned the corner on his summer slump when Chicago begins its preseason on Wednesday, Oct. 7, against the Phoenix Suns.
Swain and Wilson are the first pair of Bulls first-round picks in the same draft since 2018, when Wendell Carter Jr. was the No. 7 overall pick and Chandler Hutchison was picked No. 22 overall.
