The Chicago Bulls entered the 2026 NBA Draft with an opportunity to bring on two new rookies in the first round.
By the end of the night, the Bulls finished the first round with Caleb Wilson out of North Carolina and Dailyn Swain out of Texas.
Since the NBA Draft Lottery, the Bulls have been strongly linked to Caleb Wilson at No. 4. The Bulls’ decision to officially select him was one of the least shocking developments of the night.
As for the Swain selection, that was more on the surprising side. For most mock drafts, Swain was typically projected in the 20s. The Bulls made him the 15th pick of the draft.
Chicago Bulls Get Strong Message From NBA Analyst After Dailyn Swain Pick
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: Dailyn Swain poses on the red carpet prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
In case there are doubts about the pick, the NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor issued a strong message on the Swain front, giving Bulls fans a lot to look forward to as the second round approaches.
“Huuuge swing for the Bulls. Dailyn Swain is gonna be a versatile defender and good connective passer at worst, and he was an elite iso scorer at Texas,” O’Connor wrote on X.
“If he fixes his jumper he has star upside. Encouraging stat: Swain made over 80% of his 300-plus free throws and over 50% of his floaters in his college career.”
Dailyn Swain’s Texas Run
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 19: Dailyn Swain #3 of the Texas Longhorns walks across the court against the BYU Cougars during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Coming out of Ohio for high school, Swain attended Xavier to begin his NCAA career in 2023.
As a freshman, he came off the bench for most of the year. In 29 games, Swain averaged 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds, shooting 45.9% from the field.
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 19: Dailyn Swain #3 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles the ball while being guarded by Khadim Mboup #7 of the BYU Cougars during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
During his sophomore effort, Swain was a full-time starter for Xavier. He shot 52.3% from the field and hit on 25.0% of his threes. The second-year guard averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
A move to Texas helped Swain shoot up draft boards. Getting on a bigger stage with the Longhorns, Swain started 23 games, seeing the court for 31.1 minutes per game.
The junior guard shot 57.7% from the field and knocked down 31.7% of his threes, to average 17.7 points per game. He also came down with 7.3 rebounds per game and produced 3.4 assists per game.