What Is The Chicago Bulls' Plan for No. 15 Overall Pick Dailyn Swain?

The 2026 rookie class has been lighting it up across the league. Sacramento's Darius Acuff Jr. is averaging over 25 points a game. Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg looks like a perfect fit alongside Stephen Curry for a 6-3 Warriors team. Memphis' Cameron Boozer notched a triple-double in just his fifth NBA game. Washington's AJ Dybantsa has been a playmaker on both ends of the floor.

And for Chicago, No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson has displayed every bit of star power that the Bulls could ask for. Wilson is stuffing the stat sheet with averages of 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, but his success has overshadowed the fact that Chicago has another top draft pick who has scarcely seen the floor.

The Bulls are in their first year of a much-needed rebuild. As such, the franchise is focused on the development of its young players and the accumulation of future draft assets. Yet, head coach Tiago Splitter has been hesitant to play No. 15 overall pick Dailyn Swain so far this season.

Swain has appeared in just two games, despite the fact that the Bulls have been blown out in half of their contests. He played all 12 fourth-quarter minutes in the first game against the Celtics — totaling two points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals — before converting a three-point play in under seven minutes against the Knicks on Wednesday. In both cases, the Bulls were in a giant hole early, but Splitter kept the rookie guard on the bench until the closing minutes.

Splitter intends for Swain to play with the G League's Windy City Bulls, which will allow him to get experience in a lower-stress environment. It's a similar path to 2025 No. 12 overall pick Noa Essengue, who spent most of his time in the G League last season before a shoulder injury ended his year early. That was under a different front office and coaching staff, and Essengue only ended up playing six NBA minutes as a rookie.

Chicago's first-year head coach spoke about the franchise's developmental plan for Swain following practice on Friday.

"At first, it was that back injury for a little bit that stopped him," Splitter said. "He was a little bit out of rhythm, but now that the G League is starting, I think that's the best first step for him. That's how we see it. He's gonna spend some time there, get some reps, get better physically and in shape, and then we're gonna evaluate after some time if he's coming here, if he's staying there. Not just him, but Tobe [Awaka], Jaylin [Sellers], all those young guys. We have a plan and we're gonna put it to work."

Swain started and played 23 minutes in the Windy City Bulls' season opener on Friday night. He nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, despite sitting out the fourth quarter during the team's blowout win over the Noblesville Boom. Swain went 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-6 from deep. The Windy City Bulls will host the Boom on Saturday night as well.

Splitter has said that he believes the NBA's new draft lottery rules will lead to player development looking different compared to years past. Rather than playing as many young players as possible and racking up losses to accumulate better draft picks, NBA teams will now aim to avoid finishing among the league's bottom three teams, which places them in the relegation zone. Franchises are now incentivized to finish more toward the middle of the pack.

In the eyes of the Bulls, keeping Swain in the G League for the foreseeable future will allow him to gain experience and valuable on-ball reps without taking playing time away from point guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones, who are more likely to keep Chicago out of the relegation zone.

"We've got to understand, the NBA is going to change now with the rules," Splitter said prior to the Bulls' game against the Wizards on Oct. 24. "Nobody's just playing guys, giving them minutes and we're gonna lose, we don't care. I think the league is gonna change, and you've gotta win every game. That's how we should be approaching it. That's gonna change the scenario of how you develop players, because the importance of winning is bigger.

Following Saturday night's rematch against the Boom, the Windy City Bulls will not play until Thursday, Nov. 12. That could set Swain up for another appearance at the NBA level the day prior, when the Chicago Bulls host the San Antonio Spurs.