While we have a general idea of what the Chicago Bulls intend to do with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, there is less certainty about their second pick in the first round. Armed with the No. 15 pick, the Bulls can go multiple different directions. One of those directions is the trade-up route.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported in his latest mock draft that the Bulls "have asked around about potentially moving up from No. 15 into the lottery." What would this scenario look like?
The LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and the Milwaukee Bucks are widely considered as potential trade-down candidates. The Bucks are an interesting trade partner.
Embroiled in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the Bucks are presumably keeping their options open in the draft. They will be in asset accumulation mode and should be willing to move down from No. 10 if the trade nets them additional assets.
One potential trade scenario has the Bulls swap their picks with the Bucks and give up Tre Jones and Rob Dillingham as the price to do so.
In this deal, the Bulls also get back Kyle Kuzma and his $20.5 expiring salary for next season. Losing Jones and adding Kuzma are not ideal, but you do have to make some uncomfortable decisions to be able to take big swings at potential stars.
The reason the Bucks would be interested in this deal is that they get a quality rotation player in Jones. Dillingham is more of a throw-in, but he could still have some trade value as a talented young player. Plus, Milwaukee gets out of Kuzma's deal, getting cheaper for next season and gaining some financial flexibility for the offseason.
The jump from No. 15 to No. 10 may seem small, but it could be the difference between landing a quality starter versus a backup.
At No. 10, Chicago can still draft one of the top guard prospects. Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, and Mikel Brown Jr. are considered a tier of potential future star guards. Brown, Acuff, and Wagler especially stand out in this group. There is a very good chance one of these players would be available for Chicago after this trade.
Even in the off-chance that the picks five through nine end up being the aforementioned guards, there are still great options. Labaron Philon Jr. of Alabama might be the next player on the board. Another potentially elite on-ball creator, Philon, would also be an excellent fit in Chicago. Especially after parting ways with Jones and Dillingham, drafting a point guard at this spot would make plenty of sense.
This is just one trade framework to highlight what it would take for the Bulls to climb up into the lottery. There will be more opportunities for new GM Bryson Graham on draft day. Whether he takes advantage of these opportunities remains to be seen.
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