The Chicago Bulls just landed the first win of the Bryson Graham era without playing a single game.
The Bulls jumped five spots in the NBA draft lottery to land the No. 4 pick, a position that will give them a shot at a top-rated star in one of the deepest classes in recent history. The Bulls had a 20.3% chance of moving up to receive one of the top four selections, and those odds fell in their favor Sunday at Navy Pier.
The Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 pick, followed by the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. Teams now have a little more than a month to prepare for a crucial series of decisions in the draft, which will take place June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in New York.
During his introductory news conference Wednesday, newly appointed Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham acknowledged the need to add star-caliber talent to the roster. With a top-four pick, the Bulls have the opportunity to pluck that type of player out of a stacked class.
“I almost fainted,” Graham said with a laugh after Sunday’s lottery. “I can’t believe it. I just got the job and I got the fourth pick. This is crazy, man. This is crazy.”
Duke forward Cameron Boozer talks to media during the NBA draft lottery Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Navy Pier. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By Sunday, most draft predictors had comfortably settled on a consensus top four in this draft: BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
But despite the consensus quality of this group, there’s no clear-cut order in which they will be taken. That means any member of the quartet might be available for the Bulls to pick at No. 4.
Graham said he has a personal prediction for the order of the top four picks, but he knows that’s only a guessing game — even if his guesses are well-informed by experience with the rest of the league.
“That’s the consensus, but I’m not looking at it like that,” Graham said. “This is a deep draft. There are a lot of good players all throughout.”
The Bulls last had the No. 4 pick in 2020, when they selected forward Patrick Williams. His underwhelming career — and overpriced contract — deliver a warning of the unpredictability of talent selection even at this point in the draft.
Although Graham didn’t name Williams, he emphasized the weight of this decision from a scouting perspective. He noted that top players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), Devin Booker (No. 13), Kawhi Leonard (No. 15), Tyrese Maxey (No. 21) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11) fell significantly outside of the top four in their draft classes.
“Look, there are guys in the top four that don’t end up panning out that well,” Graham said. “We’ve got to be really thorough in our process. I’m really excited about where we’re at. We think we’re in a good position, but I’m not going to jump the gun.
“Let’s not sit here and say because we have the fourth pick, all of a sudden this franchise is back. This is just a good opportunity to add high-level talent and build this and layer it appropriately.”
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham responds to a question during an introductory news conference Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Advocate Center. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)
Graham took a clear stance on one draft philosophy: The Bulls want to take the best player available.
He’s approaching the current roster as a clean slate. The Bulls don’t need to worry about fit or position. The player they draft at No. 4 — in addition to those taken with the No. 15 pick and in the second round — will be viewed as the first layer upon which Graham will begin building the team’s style and system.
“It’s an eyes, ears, numbers combination,” Graham said. “Whoever you feel like is going to project to be the best basketball player throughout the course of their career, that’s who you take. … Whether it’s a 6-foot-4 guard or a 6-foot-11 big man, you just want to take who you believe will have the best career.
“This team is fluid. Trying to find a fit is not the right way to approach it. You want to take the best player.”
Graham is known as an elite identifier of talent, one of the main factors that landed him the job in Chicago. The No. 1 pick will offer a prime opportunity for him to test those abilities as he makes a difficult choice out of this elite class.
The Bulls also own the No. 15 pick — the first selection outside of the lottery — which was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers, in addition to a pair of second-rounders (Nos. 38 and 56). This slew of picks will provide the foundation for the team’s rebuild under Graham.
For Graham, the next month will be focused on gathering and analyzing as much data as possible. That process begins this week with the draft combine at Wintrust Arena. The Bulls will gather medical records, physical measurements and other important data. From there, they will begin to analyze players’ college portfolios through both analytics and personal analysis.
Graham emphasized that it’s important for the Bulls front office not to “dig your heels in” on any individual player at this point in the scouting process. And while he cares deeply about finding the most talented player, he also wants to use this pick to identify a player who fits his brand: high-character, mentally tough players with a strong competitive drive.
“The basketball part, that will work itself out,” Graham said.