Which NBA Team Arizona's Burries' Skillset Best Aligns With – Sports Illustrated

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Brayden Burries has garnered plenty of buzz ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, and a certain team picking in the lottery has been tabbed as a good fit for his services. 
Burries was Arizona’s go-to option in their offense last season, averaging a team-best 16.1 points per game on good efficiency from both the floor and from three-point range. He led the Wildcats in total three-pointers and was a key part of their success as a team last season. 
With Burries leading the charge, the Wildcats won a team-best 36 games last season, culminating in their first Final Four appearance in 25 years. After a slow start to the season, Burries picked up the pace and kept it up for the remainder of the season to boost his draft stock tremendously. 
Heading into the season, the consensus was that Burries would likely be a mid to late first-round pick. Now, it appears more likely than not that Burries will be chosen in the lottery of the 2026 NBA Draft. Not only is his scoring prowess something scouts like, but also his ability to defend and rebound at a high level. 
With the draft nearing, Burries has been consistently mocked as a top 10 pick in this year’s draft. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo believes that the team most fit for Burries’ skill set is the Chicago Bulls, who he believes will select Burries with the 9th overall pick if the Bulls stay at that pick. 
“Burries should be appealing if the Bulls don't move up, with his versatility and well-rounded skill set at either guard spot a viable fit next to Josh Giddey, who prefers to have the ball in his hands,” Woo said.
“After getting minimal value for Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, taking a beat to evaluate the roster is prudent, although it might not be easy to swallow for a fanbase that has seen the Bulls make the playoffs only twice in the past decade. Chicago also has the 15th pick in this draft, allowing it to take two swings in a strong class.”
Burries will look to keep impressing the scouts as the draft nears. He’ll have a chance to boost his stock even further when he takes part in the NBA Draft Combine, where he’ll look to prove he’s worthy of being a lottery pick during this summer’s edition of the draft. 
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Justin Backer brings a wealth of experience to his role as a college football and basketball general sports reporter On SI. Backer is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies, and has worked for such media companies as The Sporting News and the Palm Beach Post.
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