The preseason flash is over, and the Chicago Bulls are about to find out what their roster really looks like when the games count.
Wednesday brings the regular-season opener for the franchise’s 61st NBA season, a road date with the Toronto Raptors, and the Bulls arrive with more than just excitement from their five preseason games. Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis put together plenty of highlight material, and Josh Giddey kept feeding teammates in ways that jumped off the page. But the exhibition slate also left behind a handful of real roster questions that should start getting answers right away.
One of the biggest centers on Giddey. With rookie forward Caleb Wilson now in the mix, Giddey’s shot volume took a noticeable hit during preseason action.
He averaged 6.0 field goal attempts per game, according to NBA Stats, a sharp drop from the 12.2 attempts per game he posted across his first two Bulls seasons, per Basketball Reference. The key question now is whether that quieter shooting profile is the new normal or simply a preseason byproduct of him trying to mesh with a different-looking group.
If Giddey is going to shoot less this season, he still has to give Chicago something meaningful on offense. The two clearest paths are simple enough: bury more catch-and-shoot threes, or become a force on the offensive glass and create second chances. If neither of those pieces shows up, then Tiago Splitter and Bryson Graham have to take a hard look at how Giddey fits long term alongside Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Leonard Miller is another name worth watching closely. After finishing last season strong, he followed that up with a preseason that made plenty of Bulls fans take notice.
Miller averaged 16.4 points per game while shooting 62.0% from the field on 6.2 field goal attempts per game. The real test is whether that late-season scoring burst, paired with what he did in the preseason, carries into the first 20 games of the regular season as a nightly reality.
Then there’s Jaylin Sellers, who keeps making the most of every chance he gets. The Bulls’ two-way guard was electric in his Las Vegas Summer League games and carried that same energy into the preseason. He brought it on both ends, and the question hanging over him now is whether that play can earn him a move from a two-way deal to a standard Bulls contract.
The final preseason question is the most uncomfortable one of all. Nic Claxton still hasn’t played a minute for the Bulls in this stretch of games, and he is not expected to be ready for the opener in Toronto. That leaves Chicago waiting on a center it aggressively fit into its ample offseason cap space, and the opening-night absence only sharpens the uncertainty around that move.
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Bulls Face A Franchise-Shaping Karl-Anthony Towns Gamble
Karl-Anthony Towns is suddenly sitting at the center of a situation the Bulls have to watch closely, because the shape of the Knicks next move could ripple well beyond New York. Chicago has the cap space and a clear need at center, which is why it has surfaced as a logical trade destination if the Knicks decide to explore Towns market. For a Bulls team still trying to build something sturdier, a player of his caliber would be hard to ignore.
The catch is that any pursuit would come with real financial consequences, since a deal would likely need to account for a long-term commitment on top of the trade price. That is where the gamble gets franchise-shaping for Chicago: Towns would fit a need, but the cost structure could lock the Bulls into a choice they would have to live with for years. For now, the opening is there, but the path to actually pulling it off remains complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Already Face An Early Frontcourt Problem They Didn't Want
Nic Claxtons Bulls debut is still on hold after the center was expected to miss about two more weeks with a hamstring injury, a setback that keeps Chicago from having its frontcourt look the way it hoped as the season opens. The timing is especially frustrating because Zach Collins has practiced without restrictions and is hoping to be available for the opener, giving the Bulls at least one healthy option while the other side of the rotation remains unsettled.
Joel Embiids health has allowed the Sixers to spend training camp working through both offensive and defensive schemes with the same centerpiece in place, a luxury Chicago has not had at this point. For a Bulls team trying to get traction early, the frontcourt picture is already complicated, and the delay for Claxton only adds another layer to a stretch that could test how quickly the group can settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
Moussa Cisses status in Dallas has put a few teams on alert as the league heads toward the October 19 roster deadline. The Mavericks are reportedly at risk of waiving the big man, and if that happens, NBA insider Marc Stein has said there will be a market for him almost immediately.
The Bulls are among the clubs said to be monitoring the situation, along with the Hawks, Lakers and 76ers, all looking at the possibility of adding a frontcourt piece without giving up anything in a trade. Nothing is settled yet, but Cisses next move could quickly turn into a race of timing, roster space and whether a team decides he is worth the claim. [Read more 🡒]