Bulls double down on 'SLAP' mentality by selecting Dailyn Swain with the No. 15 pick

Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune on Jun 23, 2026

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls are sticking to their system.

After selecting Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls pivoted to focus on their backcourt by selecting Dailyn Swain with the No. 15 pick. At 6-foot-8, the former Texas wing looks similar to other recent selections by the Bulls — a lengthy wing who loves to carve a path from the perimeter to the rim.

Swain fits a clear model described by the SLAP moniker — which stands for “size, length, athleticism and physicality” — preferred by the new Bulls front office led by executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham. He will present another option for a lengthy and defensive-minded roster alongside Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue.

Swain averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for Texas last season after playing his first two seasons of college basketball at Xavier. At age 20, he will be the oldest first-round draft selection made by the Bulls in seven years.

Scoring is not a problem for Swain, who embraces every chance to work the ball downhill and create opportunities at the basket. Swain is an efficient rim finisher, but he will need to keep improving his shooting to truly make an impact in this rebuild. This seems like an achievable project for the wing, who improved his 3-point percentage from 15.4% as a freshman to 34.4% as a junior. Still, Swain’s shooting profile will prove one of the first major challenges in player development for the Bulls under this new regime.