The Bulls finally have real control over an NBA Draft. They own the No. 4 and No. 15 picks in a strong 2026 class after finishing 31-51 and missing the postseason.
They can stay at No. 4 and take the best player left from the top group. They can use No. 15 on another young rotation piece. Or they can try to turn both picks and Matas Buzelis into the No. 1 overall selection.
That would be a very large offer.
Buzelis is only 21 and already averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his second season. The No. 4 pick should still produce one of the best prospects in the class. The No. 15 pick gives the Wizards another young player on a rookie contract.
The reason the Bulls would consider it is AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa is the current favorite to become the No. 1 pick after averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists at BYU. He gives the Bulls something they have been missing for years: a young player with real first-option scoring potential.
The Bulls should make the offer. The harder question is whether the Wizards would accept it.
Trade Proposal
Chicago Bulls Receive: No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Washington Wizards Receive: Matas Buzelis, No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, No. 15 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
This would not be a normal move up of three positions. The Bulls would be trading a proven young starter and two lottery picks for the right to select one player.
Buzelis will make $5.7 million in 2026-27 and remains on his rookie contract. He is also under team control through the 2027-28 season before restricted free agency. That gives the Wizards a young forward with production, upside, and a low salary.
The No. 4 and No. 15 picks would also arrive on rookie-scale contracts. The Wizards could leave draft night with Buzelis and two more young players instead of only Dybantsa.
Why The Bulls Would Make The Trade
The Bulls need a potential franchise player more than they need three good young pieces.
That has been the main problem with the roster. The Bulls have some useful players, but they don’t have a clear future No. 1 option. Josh Giddey can create offense. Buzelis has real scoring upside. Noa Essengue is still developing. Rob Dillingham can add scoring from the backcourt.
None of them currently project at the same level as Dybantsa.
Dybantsa led Division I in scoring at 25.5 points per game. He shot 51.0% from the field, 33.1% from three, and 77.4% from the free-throw line. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals.
The three-point shot still needs some work, but the rest of his offensive game already looks very polished. Dybantsa can score in transition, attack the rim, create from the mid-range, post smaller defenders, and draw fouls. He scored 894 points as a freshman, the third-highest total by a freshman in Division I history.
His athletic profile only adds to the excitement. At around 6-foot-9 without shoes with a 7-foot wingspan, he already has the size teams look for in a modern star wing. Add in a reported 42-inch vertical from the NBA Combine, and it’s easy to see why scouts view him as such a special prospect.
The Bulls already have several good young players with upside, but they still lack a true superstar prospect to build around. Adding two more prospects at No. 4 and No. 15 would improve the depth of the rebuild, but it would not solve that problem.
Dybantsa gives them a real chance at one.
The Bulls would lose Buzelis, which would hurt. He increased his production to 16.3 points and showed more confidence as a scorer. At 6-foot-8, he can handle the ball, attack closeouts, block shots, and finish above the rim. He is one of the best young players on the roster.
But if the Bulls believe Dybantsa can become a 25-point NBA scorer and the main player on a contender, they should not refuse because Buzelis is already good. Teams usually have to give up a young player they like to get a player with higher star potential.
The No. 15 pick also should not stop the deal. Mid-first-round picks have value, but the Bulls already have several young players who need minutes. They need quality at the top more than another developmental piece.
The No. 4 pick is the main loss. The Bulls could stay there and select one of Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, or Darryn Peterson, depending on how the first three selections develop. All three have strong upside.
Still, Dybantsa is currently the safest combination of scoring, size, athleticism, and star potential in the class.
Why The Wizards Would Consider It
The Wizards would receive one of the strongest possible trade-down packages.
Buzelis is not a salary filler. He is a 21-year-old forward who already averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the NBA. Many teams would value him like a high lottery pick in this draft.
The No. 4 pick would keep the Wizards inside the top group. They would still leave with one of the top prospects in the class instead of moving far down the board.
If the first three picks are Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer, the Wizards could take Wilson. If another team changes the order, they could have access to Peterson or Boozer. They would still get a high-level prospect.
The No. 15 pick would give them another chance to add shooting, defense, or frontcourt depth. The middle of this draft includes several players with realistic starter upside.
The Wizards already have Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and other young pieces. Buzelis would fit that group as another athletic forward who can score without controlling every possession.
Trading down could give the Wizards more depth around Young and Davis. They finished 17-65, so one player will not fix the full roster. Adding Buzelis and two lottery picks would improve several positions at once.
There is also a financial argument. Buzelis is making only $5.7 million. Even after signing the No. 4 and No. 15 picks, the Wizards would have three young players on controlled contracts.
For a team carrying expensive veterans such as Young and Davis, low-cost production has value.
Why The Wizards Would Probably Reject It
The Wizards did not finish 17-65 to trade away the best prospect in the class.
They won the lottery and now have a direct chance to draft a player who could become the face of the franchise. That is difficult to give away, even for a strong package.
Dybantsa also fits the current roster. Young can create open shots for him. Davis and Sarr can protect the rim behind him. Dybantsa would not need to become the main playmaker immediately because Young can control the offense.
The Wizards can use Dybantsa as a scorer from the first season and slowly increase his creation responsibilities. He gives them a young wing who can grow while Young and Davis try to make the team competitive.
Buzelis, the No. 4 pick, and the No. 15 pick could become three good players. But the Wizards already have several good young players. What they still need is one player with a real chance to become a top-level star.
The trade also asks the Wizards to make three correct decisions instead of one. They would need Buzelis to keep improving, the No. 4 pick to become a major player, and the No. 15 pick to produce real value.
Taking Dybantsa is simpler. He was the best freshman scorer in the country, has elite physical tools, and already proved he can carry a large offensive role.
The strongest argument for accepting the deal is if the front office views Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson as being in roughly the same tier. If they believe Dybantsa isn’t really a franchise savior, then adding Buzelis and another lottery pick becomes a much more compelling return.
Is The Offer Too Much For The Bulls?
It is a large offer, but it is not too much if Dybantsa becomes the player the Bulls expect.
Buzelis is already good. The No. 4 pick should produce another high-level prospect. The No. 15 pick could become a starter. Giving up all three would remove most of the Bulls’ current young asset base.
But rebuilding teams can also become too attached to quantity.
The Bulls could leave the draft with Buzelis, Boozer or Wilson, and another prospect at No. 15. That would be a strong young group. It still might not include a true No. 1 scorer, and Dybantsa could become that player.
The Bulls have spent years without a clear franchise center. They have changed coaches, executives, veterans, and timelines. They now have a chance to make one large decision instead of adding more players to an unclear hierarchy.
That is why they should be willing to make the offer.
Final Verdict
The Bulls would probably trade Buzelis, No. 4, and No. 15 for the No. 1 pick.
They should do it because Dybantsa gives them the highest ceiling. He is the best scorer in the class, has elite physical tools, and would immediately become the most important player in the rebuild.
The Wizards should still reject the offer.
Buzelis and two lottery picks are a strong return, but the Wizards already have depth and young players. Dybantsa gives them something harder to find: a potential franchise scorer who fits next to Young, Davis, and Sarr.
The package would force the Wizards to think. It may even be the best realistic offer they receive. But unless the Wizards do not believe Dybantsa is clearly better than the players available at No. 4, they should keep the pick.
The Bulls should call. The Wizards should listen. The answer should still be no.
