For any young basketball player, the dream is to one day hear their name called in the NBA Draft and go on to play at the professional level.
Last night, that dream came true for former Texas Longhorn star Dailyn Swain when he was picked 15th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. However, since that dream-actualizing draft selection, reports have come out that the night could have been even sweeter.
One pick after Chicago belonged to none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder, the very team that won the NBA Finals just a year ago and was only a few wins away from a return to the finals this season.
The #Thunder were probably going to draft Dailyn Swain with the 16th pick, per @CBSSportsNet
— Michael Hultman (@TheHultmanBeat) June 24, 2026
But #the Bulls took him off the board at No. 15.
While the Bulls are building a promising young roster with picks like Swain and the No. 4 overall selection, UNC's Caleb Wilson, Chicago simply can't stack up against the Thunder.
Texas's Dailyn Swain nearly taken by the OKC Thunder
Of course, this realization by no means takes away from Swain's accomplishment. He was the 15th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft. That's huge.
Read more: Chicago Bulls fans are going to love Dailyn Swain, and here's why
However, can you imagine how exciting it would be to be part of a franchise immediately in the conversations about who could make it to the NBA Finals... even before your rookie season actually tips off?
With stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holgrem, the Thunder are likely going to be frontrunners for both the midseason and end-of-year titles for years to come in the NBA. Just like the San Antonio Spurs with Victor Wembanyama and the now-defending champion New York Knicks.
Instead of Swain, Oklahoma City picked up Bennett Stirtz via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 16th pick. Then, at pick No. 17, OKC selected Ebuka Okorie and traded him to the Detroit Pistons. In the second round, the Thunder drafted Ryan Conwell, but traded him to the Miami Heat. In turn, the Heat drafted Kentucky's Otega Oweh and traded him to OKC.
Also read: Sean Miller and the Horns reacting to Dailyn Swain's NBA Draft pick will warm fans' hearts
At the end of the day, Swain could become a pivotal piece of turning things in the right direction for the Bulls. Something that he wouldn't have needed to do at Oklahoma City, much less been able to do as a likely bench player.
But... even so, it's hard not to think about what could have been (as long as you can ignore the confusion of the trades).
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