The Bulls spent years drifting in the NBA middle, and the results have been as familiar as they are frustrating: no playoff series win since 2015, and no playoff appearance in four years. This offseason, though, Chicago made it clear it wanted a different path.
The front office changed first. Bryson Graham was hired to run basketball operations, and Tiago Splitter took over as coach. Then came the biggest move of all: the Bulls used the No. 4 overall pick on North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.
That selection has become the center of everything. ESPN’s NBA staff described Wilson as the player around whom the franchise is being built, and that’s the job now for Chicago’s new era.
The Bulls did not stop there. They added Norman Powell and Nic Claxton and brought back Zach Collins, giving the roster some veteran stability around a young group. But the real question for this season is simpler than that: who fits with Wilson for the long run?
Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Rob Dillingham and 2025 first-round pick Noa Essengue are all part of that conversation. Wilson, though, is the headliner.
After a strong summer league, ESPN’s Ben Golliver said Wilson drew comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Paul George. That is lofty company, and no one should be expecting Wilson to become either player right away.
Even so, the ingredients are there for something more watchable. Giddey pushing the pace, Buzelis running the floor and Wilson finishing above the rim could give Chicago a team that at least looks alive again.
There are still real questions about the plan. ESPN gave the Bulls’ offseason a C-plus and wondered whether the team might have used its cap space better by collecting more draft assets instead of signing veterans.
But for a franchise that has spent too long stuck in the same place, the bigger point is that Chicago finally seems committed to a direction. The next step is finding out whether Wilson is the one who can carry it forward.
In Other News...
Bulls Linked To A Lakers Roster Move That Could Be Worth Watching
A roster squeeze in Los Angeles has created a situation worth monitoring in Chicago, where the Bulls could be looking on with interest as the Lakers sort through their numbers. The Lakers are currently over the roster limit and are weighing ways to clear a spot, which has put a few fringe names into the conversation as possible trade or cut candidates.
One of the more intriguing possibilities is a young wing with a manageable deal, the kind of asset that can draw attention even when the on-court production has been uneven. For the Bulls, the appeal would be obvious if that market opens up, but for now it remains only speculation, with no trade or move confirmed as the Lakers continue deciding how to handle the logjam. [Read more 🡒]
Tiago Splitter Faces One Bulls Question That Could Define This Era
Tiago Splitter arrives in Chicago with a mandate that goes beyond wins and losses in the early going: he has to give the Bulls a real identity. The new head coach inherits a roster built around athleticism and the possibility of playing with more pace, and his background on the bench gives him a fresh voice for a team that spent last season searching for clarity in how it wanted to play. For a club that has spent too much time drifting between visions, the first signs of Splitters approach will matter almost as much as the results.
The bigger question is how he balances the desire to let the Bulls run with the need to develop the half-court habits that usually decide whether a young, evolving team can hold up over the long haul. Chicagos roster construction invites experimentation, but it also creates pressure on the new staff to make the right lineup choices and help key players grow into defined roles. However Splitter sorts through that, the way he answers those early identity questions could end up defining this era. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Suddenly Have A Real Taj Gibson Decision To Make
The Pelicans latest shuffle has created a familiar name worth watching around the Bulls. New Orleans reportedly moved Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy and a future second-round pick to Memphis for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, a deal that briefly sends Gibson to the Pelicans before the veteran is expected to hit the market again. For Chicago, it is the kind of low-risk, high-familiarity opening that can come with a player who knows the league, knows the grind and has long been valued for the steadiness he brings in a locker room.
Gibsons appeal for the Bulls is less about minutes than fit. He would give them an experienced presence who could help younger players navigate the day-to-day demands of the season, and his rsum still carries weight in a room that values professionalism. The question now is whether Chicago sees enough reason to bring him back into the fold, especially with a roster that has spent plenty of time balancing development against the need for dependable veterans. [Read more 🡒]