The Chicago Bulls got a small lift in CBS Sports’ latest front office rankings, but the climb came with a big asterisk.
After spending the last several rankings buried near the bottom - including a No. 28 finish in February - Chicago moved up to No. 23 in Sam Quinn’s offseason list. That puts the Bulls just ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and just behind the Orlando Magic. It’s a notable jump, but not exactly a clean bill of health.
The change at the top is the main reason for the bump. Months after Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were shown the door, the Bulls turned the keys over to Bryson Graham, a former Atlanta Hawks GM who is now running a franchise for the first time. Quinn’s ranking reflects that reset more than any proven track record, and he admitted he wasn’t entirely sold on moving Chicago up this far.
As Quinn put it: "So Graham represents a somewhat promising blank slate with the same questionable ownership. A blank slate is more promising than the known quantities of the Karnisovas front office and the seven teams below the Bulls in these rankings," Quinn wrote.
That’s really the heart of it. Graham has not had much time to leave a real fingerprint on the roster, and the sample size is still thin. There haven’t been any headline-grabbing moves that clearly reveal his eye for talent or his feel for the job.
Still, there are a few decisions that help explain why the Bulls are no longer stuck in the same old place. The Norman Powell signing stood out as a win, especially because it was the opposite of the kind of deal Chicago had been handing out before. Instead of a player option, Graham got Powell on a team option, which keeps the Bulls flexible.
The Zach Collins two-year deal seems to follow the same logic. He played only 10 games in 2025-26, but when healthy he has been solid.
If things work out, he can become a trade chip. If not, Chicago can simply move on when free agency arrives.
Nic Claxton is a different case, and one that won’t really be judged until he gets on the floor. The Bulls gave up nothing to get him, so there’s not much to criticize on the surface. But his recent production has been uneven enough that his $20+ million owed this year and next could become a problem if he doesn’t get back to being an above-average rim protector and finisher.
None of those moves have hurt Chicago. The bigger question is whether they’ve actually moved the Bulls closer to something real.
So far, Graham has mostly bought time and preserved flexibility. That may not be flashy, but it’s a lot better than standing still.
It also signals where the Bulls are headed in Year 1 under the new regime. Player development appears to be the priority, and that fits a roster that includes Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Even with the jump in the rankings, the margin for error is still wide open. Graham has room to rise, but he can fall just as quickly if the rebuild doesn’t start showing gradual progress. The longer this first year plays out, the clearer it should become how he intends to put the organization in position to succeed.
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Patrick Williams stands out on the expensive side of that ledger, with a sizable contract and limited playing time making his deal hard to overlook. On the other end, Tre Jones has emerged as one of the more appealing bargains on the roster, producing efficiently while earning far less than his impact might suggest, and that contrast says plenty about the kind of decisions Chicago will keep facing as the rebuild moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Should Watch Denver Closely After This Peyton Watson Trade
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For teams watching the Western Conference market, the bigger question is what Denver does next after adding more draft capital and reshaping the books around a pricey new commitment. Any move at that level tends to trigger a second wave of roster maneuvering, and Chicago has reason to keep an eye on how aggressively the Nuggets respond as the rest of the transaction settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Matas Buzelis Sounds Ready For Any Spotlight The Bulls Throw At Him
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He also showed he is not backing away from the spotlight that comes with being outspoken. Buzelis revisited a March game against Luka Doncic, when a back-and-forth with the Dallas star helped turn the night into a showcase for Doncic, who erupted for 51 points. Even after that lesson, Buzelis made it clear he plans to keep testing Doncic the next time their paths cross, which should make their next matchup worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]