Defending NBA Champions looking to jump Chicago Bulls with trade?

The Chicago Bulls earned some lottery luck earlier in the month, landing the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. It’s a big opportunity to kick off this rebuild on a good note.

With this draft being considered a good one at the top, there are four players who have star potential. Between A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson, the Bulls should land one of the four with the latter two being the most likely. For the Bulls, who they get depends on what the Memphis Grizzlies do at No. 3 overall.

The player they don’t take of the four, likely will be the choice for the Bulls. However, a big draft rumor could play a part in that as well.

Is Oklahoma City looking to jump up in potential trade?

With the chance to land either Boozer or Wilson, Chicago sits in a good spot. There haven’t been many concrete reports on who the Bulls prefer at No. 4 overall between Boozer and Wilson. However, if they do have a preference, a new report could put a damper on things.

Per Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, there is a chance the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to move up into that top four. Their target could be Boozer, which if that’s the hope for the Bulls, it could put a dent in the plan.

Here is what Siegel wrote:

“League sources expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to be aggressive when it comes to trade talks regarding the No. 12 and No. 17 picks in this year’s draft,” Siegel wrote. “Given the franchise’s roster crunch and upcoming financial decisions with Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, the overwhelming belief is that the Thunder will not be remaining in these spots.”

As Siegel notes, the Thunder have two first-round picks and would package those as well as potentially a player or two. But is it worth it for a team in the top four to do that?

For Chicago, it doesn’t. The Bulls need to find a star eventually and this might be their best chance. Plus, they hold pick No.15 already, which gives them a crack at another impact player. It’s unlikely you’re going to find a at No. 12 or 17 as good as No. 4, so the risk might not be worth the reward.

If Chicago does prefer one over the other, the Thunder could spoil that for the Bulls. Still, it feels unlikely this would even go down especially with the Thunder’s success again this season.

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