The Chicago Bulls did what everybody in the basketball world expected them to do at #4 overall in the 2026 NBA draft. They selected North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, widely considered the last of the four blue-chip prospects in the class. It wasn’t a difficult decision. VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham and his front office were in agreement on Wilson’s obvious talent and upside. The bigger question mark was what they had planned for the 15th overall pick, which Chicago had gotten courtesy of the Portland trade. When Dailyn Swain became the name called out by the commissioner, many fans balked.
That was not one of the prospects many had expected the Bulls to target. Part of it was because he was also a forward. Chicago needed more help at guard, preferably shooters, or another big man in the middle. Taking a player with a similar skill set to Wilson’s was somewhat puzzling. To say nothing of the fact that many experts didn’t have him going that early in the 1st round. Graham explains that Swain had a unique skill set that fit this team’s new vision, including size, athleticism, physicality, and intensity.
However, Texas head coach Sean Miller believes this wasn’t a decision made from a few months of evaluation. He revealed on 104.3 The Score that Graham has been eyeing Swain for years.
Dailyn Swain showed lots of flashes in those early years.
It goes as far back as his second-ever game as a college player. Xavier played Jacksonville. Swain played 25 minutes and was all over the court. He had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. Doing that as a freshman was pretty impressive. A year later, he built that reputation even further. His presence was felt in an overtime loss to St. Johns, then he helped lead a surprise win over Texas ahead of the NCAA tournament. His coming-out party came three days later when he posted 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals against Illinois.
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So once Swain transferred to Texas and had a breakout season, that was all Graham needed to see. He knew the young forward had all the tools to be a good player in the NBA. Doubling up on the same position didn’t matter. His job at this stage is to get as much talent on the roster as possible. Swain is talented. With some time and polish, he has All-Star capability. Even Sam Presti had eyes for him, which is the highest compliment a young player can receive in today’s NBA.
The rookie welcomes the doubts.
He’s no stranger to them. Dailyn Swain has been questioned many times throughout his basketball career. It was what motivated him to enter the transfer portal. He knew he was capable of more and Xavier wasn’t giving him the chance to excel. Sure enough, he killed it in Texas. Now here he is again, achieving his dream of reaching the NBA, and all he hears are people questioning if the Bulls took him too early. All it does is fuel his fire. Swain takes a personal delight in silencing doubters.
Chicago has every intention of giving him that chance. Most expect that head coach Tiago Splitter will hold a wide open competition in training camp. Everybody will be allowed to challenge for starting jobs. While beating out Wilson for one of the forward spots is unlikely, Swain may have a path to shooting guard, which fits his skill set fairly well, iffy jump shot aside. If nothing else, having their two rookies on the court together should lead to plenty of explosive plays.
