Chicago Bulls Land Second First-Round Pick in Deep 2026 NBA Draft

Things may be finally looking up for the Chicago Bulls.

After choosing to clean house in the front office following a six-year mess, the basketball gods have rewarded them. The organization officially earned a second first-round pick on Tuesday night thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers' last-second victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Despite missing the Play-In Tournament for the first time in three years, the Bulls still had quite a lot at stake in this year's competition. The team has owned a Trail Blazers lottery-protected pick ever since 2021. They acquired the draft capital in a three-team deal that sent Lauri Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lucky for them, they were able to secure this pick through 2028. Meaning that even if it did not convey this season, they would have two more bites at the apple before it would have turned into a mere second-rounder. This extended runway on the pick was obviously crucial, as the Trail Blazers embarked on a full-scale rebuild that led to four straight seasons of 36 wins or fewer.

Nevertheless, they used this time wisely to stock up on some promising youngsters before targeting a key veteran addition in Jrue Holiday this summer. The two-time champion finished with 21 points in the 114-110 victory. The real star, however, was Deni Avdija. The former Wizards lottery pick dropped 41 points on an incredible 15-22 shooting from the field.

Portland will now move on as the West's seventh seed and face off against the San Antonio Spurs in Round 1. They will undoubtedly walk into that series as the massive underdog. But, as far as the Chicago Bulls are concerned, their job for this season is already done!

Chicago Now Has Four 2026 NBA Draft Picks

While the Chicago Bulls' first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is currently undecided, we do know they hold the 9th-best odds heading into the lottery. They managed to clinch sole possession of this spot with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on the final day of the season. Of course, it means the most likely outcome is that they remain 9th, but they do hold a 20.3 percent chance at jumping into the Top 4 and a 4.5 percent shot at the No. 1 overall selection.

As for where the Trail Blazers' pick will land, there is a high chance that it sits just outside the lottery at 15th overall. One way it could fall below that threshold is if the Golden State Warriors manage to beat both the Clippers and Suns to clinch the No. 8 seed. This would automatically remove them from the lottery, but their 37 wins would be the worst of the playoff teams, thus putting them ahead of Portland.

There is also a possibility that the Clippers clinch the final playoff series and thus exit the lottery with a 42-40 record. The NBA would then have to conduct a coin flip to decide whether the team sits 15th or 16th overall. Regardless, sitting in either spot should be considered a massive win for a Bulls team that is starting fresh. Two picks in the Top 16 are a lot to work with, especially in THIS draft. It's also quite the exciting pair of picks to immediately hand a new front office leader.

Speaking of which, Chicago is expected to pick twice in the second round, as well. They acquired the New Orleans Pelicans' selection from the Boston Celtics as part of the Nikola Vucevic trade, and this pick will sit at 38th overall. They also added the 56th pick at the trade deadline amid their many moves. While these will undoubtedly be viewed as far less valuable picks, you can never underestimate a smart front office!

Indeed, tonight's news only underscores how important it is for the Chicago Bulls to get this summer's hire right. Sitting pretty with draft capital and spending power galore, this has the potential to be a quicker turnaround than anyone initially expected. No pressure, Reinsdorfs!

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