The Chicago Bulls drafted Dailyn Swain out of Texas with the fifteenth total decide within the 2026 NBA Draft. The multi-skilled, 6-foot-7 wing has a sky-high ceiling that’s principally tied to his unimaginable ball-handling skill and isolation scoring.
Swain–along with No. 4 total decide Caleb Wilson–gives you a crystal-clear imaginative and prescient of the kind of workforce that government vice chairman of basketball operations Bryson Graham is attempting to construct.
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Graham seems to be assembling a squad stacked with lanky wings who ought to be capable of maintain up defensively as they fill out their body. Offensively, the Bulls roster seems to be to be quick on floor-spacing even after the addition of Norman Powell. This leads straight into the query of what does Swain reaching his ceiling seem like?
The reply to that query is kind of easy. Swain’s slashing and playmaking are tailored for right this moment’s NBA, however his taking pictures just isn’t. To be the most effective model of himself, he must shore up the clear weaknesses in his recreation.
Summer League is the time to experiment along with your recreation in a low-stakes setting. It’s additionally a spot to your high incoming abilities to showcase their clear-cut strengths. Here is what I’d prefer to see from Swain over his time on the 2026 NBA Summer League.
The uncooked variety of assists Swain racks up at summer season league is not necessary. What is necessary is that Swain’s assists rank among the many top-three on the Bulls’ summer season league roster. Obviously this has no precise make-or-break significance, however it could be good to see Swain assert himself as one of many high offensive choices on this setting.
At 6-foot-7, Swain is not a superb ball-handler, he is a particular ball-handler. His skill to get to his spots on the ground with ease–especially one-on-one–lends itself to being the lead playmaker for a workforce.
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He possible will not get that chance proper out of the gate in Chicago, with incumbent PG Josh Giddey operating the present. So it could be glorious for Bulls administration to get an opportunity to see Swain appearing as “big PG” for an prolonged stretch. Even relationship again to his time at Xavier the place he was much less of an on-ball participant, Swain confirmed the flexibility to make good reads as a passer.
Having religion in Swain operating the second unit as a lead ball-handler might open a bunch of alternatives for the Bulls entrance workplace. Summer league is their first probability to get a have a look at the previous Texas wing on this function as a member of the Bulls group.
The clear weak spot in Swain’s recreation is an unorthodox jumpshot that does not seem like it’ll translate on the NBA degree. He shot a career-high 2.6 makes an attempt per recreation from 3-pt vary his final collegiate 12 months at Texas, knocking them down at a 34.4% clip.
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At summer season league, there’s nearly no variety of Swain 3-pt makes an attempt that may make me uncomfortable. Swain must be taking 6+ makes an attempt per recreation from 3-point vary if he can over the summer season league.
The low-stake setting is the proper place for him to see how comfy he feels taking that quantity of pictures from 3-pt vary.
It’s an apparent assertion, however Swain turning into a league-average 3-point shooter would take his recreation to the following degree.
This one must be a easy ask, as Swain averaged 7.5 RPG at Texas, 5.8 of these being defensive rebounds. But assuming the Bulls common season roster is usually set and Swain is part of it, he will probably be wanted to do some heavy lifting on the glass.
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Chicago acquired Nic Claxton in a low stakes commerce early within the offseason. Claxton–even a diminished model of himself–figures to be an enchancment to their roster by way of rim safety, however he hasn’t averaged over six defensive rebounds for the reason that 2024 season.
Caleb Wilson and Swain–despite being rookies–will most likely be leaned on to assist the Bulls successfully rebound-by-committee. A (persistently) wholesome Jalen Smith and Zach Collins would make my issues on this difficulty overblown.
During summer season league, it could be encouraging to see Swain energetic on the defensive glass and subsequently pushing the fastbreak.
The finest model of this upcoming season’s Chicago Bulls will probably be at their most harmful when gamers like Swain, Wilson and Buzelis are grabbing the rebound and instantly flying up the courtroom. With Swain (and Wilson) main the best way, the summer season league Bulls will probably be Chicago’s first have a look at a flexible and athletic core group of gamers that would cowl for any perceived rebounding weak spot.