Bulls Pick Their Antidote/Poison — Young, Wild, Or Free
If the Bulls can’t get Peterson, there’s no need to give up hope. Instead, they should turn their attention to another high-upside guard with an effective 3-ball and perimeter defense. There are actually three lottery-level prospects that fit that description outside of Peterson: Arizona freshman Brayden Burries, Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler, and Baylor junior Cameron Carr.
Brayden Burries
ESPN’s 12th-ranked player in the Class of 2025, Burries didn’t disappoint. Across 39 games, the All-Big 12 (1st Team) selection averaged 16.1 points and 1.5 steals per contest, posting .491-.391-.805. He routinely rose to the occasion to help lift the Wildcats to victory, scoring 20+ points in 14 games (including a 23-point performance against Acuff’s Razorbacks in the Sweet 16).
Brayden Burries was impressive in Arizona’s Sweet 16 win over Arkansas.
Burries finished with 23 points on 7-11 shooting in the blowout win. pic.twitter.com/HySOwxcP8g
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 27, 2026
For the Bulls, adding the 6-foot-4 guard wouldn’t be ideal from a size standpoint, though he is taller than impending free agents Anfernee Simons (6-foot-2.25 inches without shoes) and Collin Sexton (6-foot-0.5 without shoes). Still, he’s a sharp and physical ball-handler with a soft touch. If the Bulls want to free up the money they would commit to Simons or Sexton while adding a realistic long-term starter beside Giddey, Burries is a viable option.
Keaton Wagler
Neither Burries nor Carr has enjoyed as much fanfare as Wagler, the young (19) Consensus All-American who burst onto the scene after being ranked outside of the top-100 in high school. A uniquely crafty scorer at 6-foot-5 and 188 pounds, Wagler averaged 17.9 points and 4.2 assists per game in 2025-26 (adding 5.1 rebounds per game to boot). He did this efficiently, shooting 44.5% from the field and 39.7% from 3.
His best game this season came against Purdue on Jan. 24, when he put up an eye-popping 46 points (and four assists) in a game his team won, 88-82. Unconscious from beyond the arc, he went 9-11 from 3-point range, but he also took 13 free-throw attempts (making 11).
Awesome performance by Keaton Wagler today vs Purdue
46 points on 13/17 shooting, 9-11 3PT and 11/13 FT, was effortless when hunting his shots today, carrying Illinois to pull off a major road win and broke the record for most points in a game while visiting Mackey Arena in the… pic.twitter.com/y5Z1yNWEuD
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) January 24, 2026
For the Bulls, Wagler’s outside shooting and instinctive ability to create space off the dribble allows him to function as a complementary piece to Giddey. However, similar to Peterson, Wagler is considered a hybrid guard that can man either position. As a result, he’s another player that may make Giddey expendable to them down the line.
Cameron Carr
Honestly, taking a junior prospect with late-bloomer numbers in the top-five is kind of wild. Sure, the fact that Carr only played four games in 2024-25 changes the perspective a bit, as he essentially lost an entire season due to injury. Him being the son of former NBA wing Chris Carr isn’t necessarily relevant, but NBA fans, scouts and executives do place some level of stock in pedigree. Furthermore, he was one of the true standouts during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, both in terms of his athletic testing and the scrimmages. Therefore, he has a real shot at being a draft riser.
Baylor’s Cameron Carr went OFF in the NBA draft combine scrimmage:
30 PTS | 9-18 FG | 6-12 3PT | 7 REB pic.twitter.com/nFc3R4H9Bq
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) May 13, 2026
If the Bulls did take Carr, they’d obviously be banking on the player he was in 2025-26, when he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 stocks (steals + blocks) per game. Should Carr continue on his current trajectory, the Bulls would be landing a sharpshooting shot-creator and playmaker with undeniable defensive tools.
