To the surprise of nobody, the Chicago Bulls selecting Caleb Wilson #4 overall in the 2026 NBA draft was met with universal praise. He was considered one of the best prospects in the class. An elite athlete with a staggering amount of room to grow after what was a really good season for North Carolina. The vital thing a team must do during a rebuild is shoot for that player you can potentially build a franchise around. Wilson has that level of talent. Then came the “other” 1st round pick, Texas forward Dailyn Swain.
This selection was met with more mixed reactions. Some were surprised he went that high, believing he’d likely go somewhere in the 20s range. That usually indicates a reach. While Swain earned widespread praise for his athleticism, intensity, and excellent rim-attacking prowess, most couldn’t look past his iffy shooting stroke. However, don’t be fooled. The pick had plenty of supporters, too. More than you might think. Several experts believe the Bulls quietly got a really good one.
Kevin O’Connor (Yahoo Sports)
Grade: A+
After taking Wilson with the No. 4 pick, the Bulls get a potential steal here. Swain is relentless getting to the rim, creative as a finisher, and active enough defensively to project as a switchable wing.
Steph Noa (Sporting News)
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Grade: A
Swain was a rim pressure machine at Texas, showing special skill and handle as a driver. He’s not a proven shooter, hitting 34 percent of his 3’s last season, and the Bulls do have some spacing issues in their lineup. But this was the best pick that Chicago could make, picking up a player with a high floor and decent upside.
Ricky O’Donnell (SB Nation)
Joel Lorenzi (The Athletic)
Rich Stayman (No Ceilings NBA)
Dailyn Swain has traits that you can’t really teach.
The first thing that immediately stands out with the young wing is his ability to create his own offense. Even with an inconsistent jump shot, he routinely showed the ability to get past defenders by himself and score. Think about this. At any given time, there are only around 15-25 players in the NBA who can legitimately create their own offense without help from set plays. The rest are good shooters who need someone else to manufacture an opening for them or are defense-only.
One person that Dailyn Swain is often compared to is OG Anunoby. He, too, came into the NBA with great size, length, athleticism, and defensive prowess. Attacking the rim was a great strength. However, his early career was dogged by shooting inconsistency. That is why he went 23rd overall in 2017. A few years later, things began to click, and he became one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA. Now he’s an NBA champion and an all-time hero for the New York Knicks.
The Bulls don’t need this pick to be a home run.
This draft will be remembered by how Wilson develops. He is the focal point. What Swain becomes will be either icing on the cake or a minor disappointment. What we know at this point is that he has probably a higher floor than other prospects taken in the middle of the 1st round. He showed throughout his college tenure that he can play strong, active defense. His offensive output also got consistently better year over year in college, which is usually a good sign. He finished last season with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.
At worst, they’re getting an athletic defender who gives them a multitude of ways to attack the rim both in transition and in the half-court. If he does end up improving his jumpers, the Bulls may have landed themselves a potential All-Star. Much depends on how committed he is to improving and how good new head coach Tiago Splitter is at developing his game. Yes, it’s a big swing, but a calculated one with a higher percentage to work than others might.
