The Chicago Bulls own a pair of first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft, including their own (which will be a lottery selection) and the Portland Trail Blazers’ selection, which will come in at No. 15 overall.
The Bulls won just 31 games this past season and have posted just one winning campaign the last decade, so clearly, they need some pretty serious help. Fortunately, they have a new executive with a pretty fine draft record in Bryson Graham, so perhaps Chicago’s turnaround starts this summer.
Unfortunately, the Bulls won’t be able to land any of the most hyped prospects in this year’s class, as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson will all be out of their reach, barring a trade.
But there should still be some very intriguing young talents available for Chicago with each of its two first-round selections, so the Bulls — who own four picks in this draft overall — could come away with quite a haul next month.
However, there is one player Chicago is being warned to avoid.
Chicago Bulls warned to avoid Jayden Quaintance
Jan 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Jayden Quaintance (21) fives a teammate during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Perhaps one of the most compelling prospects in this year’s NBA Draft class is Kentucky Wildcats big man Jayden Quaintance, a freakish athlete whose skillset appears to be exactly what the Bulls need on the interior. At least defensively.
But Alex Kirschenbaum of Bleacher Nation isn’t buying any of it, sternly warning Chicago to steer clear of Quaintance.
“Every declared player in ESPN’s top 25 (beyond the injury-prone Jayden Quaintance, who feels like an obvious stayaway) is worth an extended look. The Bulls have positional needs absolutely everywhere,” Kirschenbaum wrote.
ESPN has ranked Quaintance 18th on its latest big board, which feels about right given his medical concerns.
The 20-year-old began his career at Arizona State in 2024-25 and played in 24 games with the Sun Devils, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks over 29.5 minutes per game before a torn ACL knocked him out for the remainder of the campaign.
Quaintance than transferred to Kentucky, where he appeared in all of four contests this past season as a result of swelling in that same right knee.
Clearly, there is reason to worry about Quaintance, who actually might have been one of the top prospects in this year’s class had it not been for his injury red flags. It’s also worth noting that Quaintance’s offense repertoire is very limited, as well.
As tempting as it may be for the Bulls to draft Quaintance and make him their defensive anchor, it’s probably not worth the risk.
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