The Bulls have already spent most of their 2026 cap-space ammo, but the bigger question is how they handle the next one. Bryson Graham’s front office still has the $9.4 million room exception and one active roster spot to work with, and the summer haul has been a busy one: center Nic Claxton, a re-signed Zach Collins, and guard Norman Powell on a two-year, $44.1 million deal.
Even with that spending spree, Chicago is projected to be back in a strong position in 2027. On Thursday, Spotrac’s Keith Smith laid out an early look at next summer’s cap landscape, and he pegged the Bulls for $55.6 million in cap space.
Some way-too-early 2027 cap space projections:
- Nets: $68.6M
- Bulls: $55.6M
- Clippers: $53.8M (could be $92.2M w/o Kawhi trade)
- Pistons: $43.9M (w/o long-term deal for Duren)
- Bucks: $43.3M
- Hawks: $37.8M
- Grizzlies: $36.5M
- Kings: $31.5M
- Warriors: $28.1M
- Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 23, 2026
There’s some built-in context for how the Bulls used their 2026 flexibility. Graham and his staff had only about two months to assemble the front office, hire a head coach, and get ready for the 2026 NBA Draft, so a little patience is fair.
But the 2027 offseason needs a different kind of plan.
Chicago shouldn’t treat that money like a blank check for internal extensions. The article’s view is clear: extending Isaac Okoro, extending Leonoard Miller, and even extending Jalen Smith should not be where the cap space goes. The Bulls should look to move on from all three, with Smith singled out as a player who could be sent elsewhere, especially given his fit with another fellow Klutch Sports Group client.
That’s because the Bulls still aren’t out of the rebuild. They’re not at the point where they can call the job done. Every decision from here needs to serve one of two goals: put pieces around Caleb Wilson, or add draft capital that gives the franchise more leverage in future trades or in the draft itself.
Chicago may already have Wilson’s co-star in Matas Buzelis, though that remains to be seen. If those two are the long-term pairing, then the Bulls need to be hunting for a center who can fit cleanly next to Wilson. At minimum, that player would need to rebound at a high level, set screens for Wilson’s pull-up game, and anchor the back line as a rim protector.
The other priority is stockpiling draft assets. The new anti-tanking rules may have made those kinds of trades less lucrative than before, but the Bulls would still be smart to keep collecting picks that belong to other teams rather than their own.
In Other News...
Bulls May Have A Serious Answer To Their Rim Protection Problem
Chicagos frontcourt picture got a lot more interesting after the offseason deal that brought Nic Claxton to town, but the Bulls may not want to stop there if theyre serious about solving their rim-protection issues for good. Claxton gives them a younger defensive piece to build around, yet the broader search for a true anchor still points toward the kind of veteran big man who can change the shape of a defense the moment he steps on the floor.
Rudy Gobert fits that description as well as almost anyone in the league. Even as he moves into extension-eligible territory and heads toward the final year of his contract, he still brings the kind of durability and back-line presence teams covet, with a career built on elite shot-blocking and steady availability. If Chicago keeps pushing its rebuild forward, a player with that defensive rsum would naturally sit near the top of the wish list. [Read more 🡒]
Nicolas Claxton Just Became A Huge Test For The Bulls Front Office
Nicolas Claxton arrived in Chicago as part of the Bulls trade involving the Nets and Timberwolves, and the front office is already treating him as more than just a roster addition. For now, he is being viewed as a potential starting center for the upcoming season, a player who can stabilize the middle while the Bulls sort out what the rest of the rotation looks like.
At the same time, Claxton also fits the kind of movable piece Chicago has been trying to stockpile, especially if his play puts him back on the radar for teams looking for frontcourt help. His contract gives the Bulls something useful to work with, and if he performs well enough, the real question may become whether Chicago keeps him as part of the long-term picture or uses him to chase more draft capital later on. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls May Finally Have A Cheap Frontcourt Opening To Watch
A frontcourt opening could eventually surface for Chicago if Washingtons roster math gets tight around Anthony Davis next contract milestone. Davis becomes extension-eligible in August 2026, and any new deal there could force the Wizards to make harder choices on payroll and apron flexibility, the kind of pressure that often sends teams looking for cheaper ways to keep the depth chart intact.
One name worth keeping on the radar is a young Washington big whose fit has been evaluated with Chicago in mind as the Bulls continue to scan for value up front. The Wizards also have a non-guaranteed team option on him for the 2027-28 season, with a decision due by June 29, 2027, so this is the sort of situation that could linger for a while before it turns into an actual market opportunity. [Read more 🡒]