Chicago Bulls land 2 SEC stars in latest NBA mock draft

The Chicago Bulls are preparing for the 2026 NBA Draft lottery this week to determine where they will officially pick. The team has a 4.5% chance of getting the first pick, but are likely going to be in the top 10. There is a chance they fall to the end of the lottery if things go against them, but they have two picks in the first round thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers making the playoffs as part of the Larry Nance Jr trade in 2021. Let’s take a closer look at the two players that one outlet has them selecting.

Chicago Bulls land the 10th pick in Bleacher Report’s mock NBA draft

The Bulls do not have the luck of the ping-pong balls in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft. They land with the 10th pick and selected guard Labaron Philon Jr from the Alabama Crimson Tide. Below is the reasoning given to the pick:

“Labaron Philon gave Michigan 35 points in his final game, capping off a breakout season fueled by improved shooting and finishing. His identity still revolves around dribbling creativity and getting to spots. Philon has a dangerous change of speed, deceleration ability and handling. He’s a more advance isolation and ball-screen scorer with his pull-up game and craft around the rim.”

The 20-year-old has been compared to Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray. Philon finished the season 12th in the NCAA in scoring as he averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 50.1/39.9/79.8 shooting splits over 33 games. He can be the point guard as Rob Dillingham and Tre Jones have not elevated to being a starting point guard on a contending team yet. Instead, the backocurt of Philon and Josh Giddey could be a dynamic scoring duo. If this is the first pick in the Bryson Graham era for Chicago, they would be excited.

Chicago gets a forward with the 15th pick

In addition to their own first-round pick, they also have the first non-lottery pick via the Trail Blazers. In the mock draft, they get some size from a different SEC school in forward Jayden Quaintance from the Kentucky Wildcats. Below is what they wrote about this pick:

“Jayden Quaintance lasted four games for Kentcuky after trying to return 10 months after last year’s torn ACL. Scouts aren’t banking on seeing him again this year, which creates a tricky evaluation and draft decision for a sophomore who’s still younger than most freshmen. The long-term ceiling that looked so appealing at Arizona State hasn’t changed. But with questions about his availability, health and current stage of development, it’s becoming more likely that he could lose support from certain teams desperate for a sure thing.

“At full strength, Quaintance looks like an outstanding defensive prospect due to his frame, length and shot-blocking rate. He was always behind offensively, but he’s delivered enough flashes of low-post touch, driving ability and shotmaking for scouts to picture some long-term scoring potential to unlock.”

While this pick seems like more of a gamble, Quintance has shown the upside to be a legitimate defensive threat at the forward position. He played 28 games (25 starts) in his collegiate career and averaged 8.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game. He needs to figure out how to be able to shoot the basketball at a better level, but it could come with more time on the court. When healthy, he provides solid forward minutes as a starter in the league. Like the mock draft said, he is young and needs to prove he is healthy. However, he is a lottery pick when he is on the court and would provide the Bulls with someone to play well at the four when Patrick Williams is off the court.

They have some intriguing options with Jalen Smith and Noa Essengue also under contract for the 2026-27 season already, but this gives the Bulls a chance to move some more players and shape the roster to be a competitive team right away in the Eastern Conference. It will be intriguing to see who the Bulls take with their two top-15 picks in the actual NBA draft.

The post Chicago Bulls land 2 SEC stars in latest NBA mock draft appeared first on ChiCitySports.