Last night, a childhood dream came true for former Texas forward Dailyn Swain, who was selected 15th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, going to the Chicago Bulls.
Now, as Swain packs his bags for his new team to call home, his former teammates might still be celebrating watching their guy hear his name called on the first night of the draft.
Read more: Chicago Bulls fans are going to love Dailyn Swain, and here's why
Just after Swain was picked by the Bulls, Texas basketball posted a video of head coach Sean Miller and quite a few Longhorn teammates watching the draft and shouting out in joy when Swain was selected.
"That's big time, huh?" Miller said in the clip after jumping out of his chair and applauding. "Wow... 15th!"
👏👏 from the 512‼️#HookEm | #AlwaysCompete pic.twitter.com/HzvFAYj2rx
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) June 24, 2026
In the video, you can see already beloved Texas players like Matas Vokietaitis, as well as a few newcomers to the 40 Acres, including transfer portal addition David Punch, and more.
Of course, Swain was the only Longhorn to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, with graduating seniors Jordan Pope and Chendall Weaver not following suit. However, it was clear in the video just how much the first-round pick meant to the Texas basketball team.
"What's up, Bulls fans? I'm super excited to be a part of the organization," Swain said in a post-draft video. "You can expect winning, you can expect an everyday guy, and just great vibes from me. A lot of talent, and we're up-and-coming. Let's do it."
Swain became the 50th former Longhorns selected in an NBA Draft, and the first Texas basketball player to hear his name called in five years.
Texas sees back-to-back NBA Draft 1st-round for first time in 7 years
With Swain's pick, the Texas men's basketball team saw back-to-back years with first-round picks for the first time in nearly a decade. In 2025, former Texas guard Tre Johnson was taken sixth overall by the Washington Wizards, followed by Swain going in the first round in Chicago this year.
"From the Lone Star State to the Windy City," the Bulls shared on social media after drafting the former Longhorn. "Welcome to Chicago, Dailyn Swain."
The last time this happened for the Horns was in 2018 and 2019, with center Mo Bamba going sixth overall to the Orlando Magic and forward Jaxson Hayes going eighth overall to the Atlanta Hawks just one year later.
While 2021 saw three Longhorns drafted, including Kai Jones, Greg Brown, and Jericho Sims, no players for the Texas men's basketball team were drafted from 2022 through 2024. To put it lightly, Miller has turned things back around for the Horns.
Also read: Dailyn Swain’s NBA Draft rise is more proof that Sean Miller has Texas on course
The second round of the 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 24. While no more Longhorns will hear their names called, Texas could see a few former players sign free agent contracts once the draft concludes.
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