The Chicago Bulls are in the middle of a rebuild, so a low spot in preseason power rankings makes sense. But being slotted all the way down at 29th, with only the Milwaukee Bucks below them, feels awfully severe.
That’s where Law Murray of The Athletic put Chicago heading into the 2026-27 season, and it’s a tough read for a roster that has changed a lot in a short time. The Bulls are young, yes, but they’re not empty-handed. There’s real talent here, and there are veterans helping hold the thing together.
Executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham deserves credit for how fast he’s pushed the franchise in a new direction.
The biggest reason for optimism starts with Caleb Wilson. Chicago took the former North Carolina star with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 draft, and he wasted no time making noise in summer league.
Wilson was one of the best players in Vegas, rookie or not, averaging 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.3 steals in four games. He also opened his pro career by burying seven 3-pointers in his debut.
Wilson should fit neatly alongside Matas Buzelis, who is heading into his third season and looks poised to become one of Chicago’s top players at forward.
There’s help in the backcourt, too. Josh Giddey may not be an all-star, but he’s a starting-level point guard and has taken a big step forward as a shooter.
Graham also made a real swing in the middle by bringing in Nic Claxton to take over for Nikola Vucevic, Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele at center. That’s a clear upgrade.
On top of that, the Bulls landed veteran guard Norman Powell on what was described as a team-friendly deal, giving the roster another proven scorer. Powell is an upgrade over the Anfernee Simons/Collin Sexton pairing Chicago finished last season with.
Leonard Miller adds another interesting piece up front. The 22-year-old showed his best basketball once he arrived in Chicago and could be even more effective playing behind Wilson and Buzelis.
The Bulls also changed coaches, hiring Tiago Splitter. He guided an average Portland Trail Blazers team to the playoffs last season and picked up a first-round win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
No one is expecting Chicago to suddenly catch fire. Playoffs look like a long shot, and even the play-in may be out of reach. Still, ranking the Bulls behind the Pelicans at 28th, the Kings at 27th and the Nets at 25th seems like too much of a stretch.
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