Sports are a funny thing sometimes. Six years ago, Arturas Karnisovas took over as Chicago Bulls VP of Basketball Operations. The team would end up with the 4th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. It was a great opportunity to kickstart a new era the right way. Instead, Karnisovas set the tone for years to come when he took Patrick Williams instead. While he floundered in Chicago as a massive disappointment, other teams saw their fortune transform almost overnight. Since then, the Bulls haven’t been able to buy lottery luck, landing the 11th pick two years in a row and the 12th pick last year. It was as if the basketball gods were laughing at them.
Then, almost on cue, the winds shifted. In the 2026 NBA draft lottery, the Bulls finally caught a break, landing the 4th overall pick once again. How is that for serendipity? Now Karnisovas’s replacement, Bryson Graham, will have a chance to undo all of the damage he inflicted with that pick six years ago. Even better? Most experts agree this draft class has four “elite” prospects. That means, unless Graham decides to go rogue, there is a virtual guarantee that the Bulls will land one of them.
The Chicago Bulls are so close to landing a difference-maker.
Graham has said from the moment he took over that his focus is on drafting the best players on the board. He will not be hemmed in by positional need. That is how you get in trouble. What we do know is that he’ll be focused on players who have size, length, athleticism, and physicality. That is how he intends to build this Bulls roster. If you follow the string of mock drafts coming from top experts and outlets, most agree that the top two picks are pretty much locked in place. BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa would go #1 overall to whoever landed the pick, while Kansas guard Darryn Peterson would go #2.
The real intrigue would be at #3, featuring a two-player race between Duke power forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina power forward Caleb Wilson. The two seem to trade that spot back and forth, depending on who you ask. Boozer was stellar last season for the Blue Devils, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. This won him Player Of The Year honors. Wilson was almost as good, finishing with 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. His 1.4 blocks per game were a slight separator in his favor.
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The Bulls should not grow content.
They have lots of work to do before the draft. It starts on June 23rd, giving Graham limited time to assemble the rest of his front office, find a head coach, and continue the scouting process. He must make absolutely sure that whoever he ends up drafting enters a situation that is perfectly suited to their development. Williams certainly didn’t. He had to endure a year of Jim Boylen that rookie season before the Bulls brought in Billy Donovan. Thankfully, this time the front office and coaching staff will be aligned from the start.
The Chicago Bulls must be prepared for anything. There is an undercurrent of belief that Peterson could be the one to fall due to health and maturity concerns, despite being what many agree is the most talented player in the class. We’re talking Devin Booker-level ability. This is why the pressure is on Graham. Karnisovas infamously zeroed in on Williams six years ago, not bothering to pay much attention to other options. This draft is far too important for that to happen again.
If they get it right, the franchise will be on its way back to relevance for the first time in a decade.
