NBA draft lottery: Bulls will have the No. 4 pick after beating the odds to move up 5 spots

CHICAGO - The Chicago Bulls just landed the first win of the Bryson Graham era without playing a single game.

The Bulls jumped five spots in the NBA draft lottery to land the No. 4 pick, a position that will give them a shot at a top-rated star in one of the deepest classes in recent history. The Bulls had a 20.3% chance of moving up to receive one of the top four selections, and those odds fell in their favor Sunday at Navy Pier.

The Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 pick, followed by the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies.

During Graham's introductory news conference Wednesday, the newly appointed executive vice president of basketball operations acknowledged the need to add star-caliber talent to the roster. With a top-four pick, the Bulls have the opportunity to pluck that type of player out of a stacked class.

There is not a consensus No. 1 pick in this draft, which means any of the projected top four - BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson - could be available at No. 4.

Graham is known as an elite identifier of talent, one of the main factors that landed him the job in Chicago. The No. 1 pick will offer a prime opportunity for him to test those abilities as he makes a difficult choice out of this elite class.

The Bulls also own the No. 15 pick - the first selection outside of the lottery - which was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers, in addition to a pair of second-rounders (Nos. 38 and 56). This slew of picks will provide the foundation for the team's rebuild under Graham.

The NBA draft will take place June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in New York.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 1:28 PM.