The Chicago Bulls have already done most of their offseason heavy lifting, but one roster spot still hangs out there - and it’s the kind of opening that can be used to keep building, not to look backward.
Under Bryson Graham, the Bulls have reshaped the roster around a young core led by Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Dailyn Swain. The additions of Nic Claxton and Norman Powell should also put Chicago in position to benefit from the NBA’s new “3-2-1” lottery system.
With that in mind, the final spot should be reserved for someone who can help now and maybe even become a trade chip later, the way Powell and Zach Collins could. If the Bulls can turn that spot into extra draft capital down the line, that’s the move.
That’s why DeMar DeRozan should not be part of the conversation, even with Sacramento waiving him and sending him into the market this offseason.
There’s no denying what DeRozan gave Chicago during his three seasons with the team. He was available, he scored in bunches, and he produced at a high level, averaging 25.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field.
But that version of DeRozan is in the rearview now. Since the Bulls traded him to the Sacramento Kings in the deal that sent Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of 2024-25, his numbers have slid. In 77 games in 2025-26, he averaged 18.4 points and shot 32.0% from 3-point range.
A team like the Golden State Warriors could see value in that kind of veteran scoring punch if the rotation is thin. Chicago is in a different place entirely. The Bulls are trying to move into a new era, and that means leaving DeRozan where he belongs: in the past.
His time in Chicago was productive on paper, but the return on investment never matched the spending. In 2022-23, the Bulls were paying DeRozan and Zach Lavine a combined $64 million, and the season ended with Chicago 10th in the Eastern Conference and bounced from the Play-In Tournament by the Miami Heat.
Now DeRozan is headed toward a much cheaper next contract, but the Bulls don’t need to use their last spot on a player who would expect a real role. They need someone who can take a back seat as Dailyn Swain and the other young pieces grow into bigger minutes. Signing DeRozan would pull them in the wrong direction.
He wants to compete, and that makes sense. The Bulls, though, should resist any pull toward a reunion.
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Noa Essengue arrived in Chicago with plenty of intrigue as the Bulls 2025 first-round pick, and summer league was supposed to be the first real look at how his game might translate. Instead, the conversation has quickly shifted to recovery, with the rookie working back from shoulder surgery and still trying to get all the way to full strength before he takes the floor in Vegas.
Essengue says he is close to ready, but the Bulls have not yet mapped out how much he will play in summer league, leaving his return timeline a little hazy for now. Head coach Tiago Splitter has made clear he likes the versatility Essengue brings when he does return, which only adds to the anticipation around a player Chicago badly wants to see healthy and moving like himself again. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls New Era Suddenly Comes Down To One Lineup Decision
The Bulls new era under general manager Bryson Graham and coach Tiago Splitter has already taken shape in the offseason, with the front office adding Norman Powell and bringing in pieces such as Nic Claxton, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain. On paper, the roster now has a very different look, and the early projection for the first five points to Josh Giddey, Powell, Matas Buzelis, Wilson and Claxton as the group that will set the tone.
What makes the next few weeks so interesting is how little of the rotation feels settled beyond that core. Tre Jones is expected to handle the first lift off the bench, with Isaac Okoro and Jalen Smith also in line for meaningful minutes, but the final spots are still there for the taking. Dailyn Swain, Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue are all in the mix for those remaining roles, and how they perform in camp and preseason may end up deciding who sticks in the nightly plan. [Read more 🡒]