The Bulls are at the start of a new chapter, and the people steering it - Caleb Wilson and Bryson Graham - are inheriting a roster that has spent the last five-plus years stuck in the same place. If Chicago wants out of that cycle, the quickest path may be the one the Oklahoma City Thunder have already paved: stockpile draft picks and keep doing it.
That kind of strategy has become the lifeblood of team building in today’s NBA. Picks give a team more chances to land young talent, and they give a front office more ammunition later when it’s time to make a bigger move. For the Bulls, that matters because Wilson and Matas Buzelis could become the kind of core that a pile of draft assets helps support.
The Thunder have been the league’s clearest example of how far that approach can go. Sam Presti has built a massive draft cabinet over the years, and Oklahoma City now owns more picks than any other team in the NBA. The foundation of it all was the Paul George trade, which brought in a huge haul of draft capital and also landed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, now a two-time NBA MVP.
But Oklahoma City didn’t stop there. The Thunder kept making smaller moves, too, grabbing first-rounders and second-rounders whenever the opportunity came up. That steady accumulation is the model Chicago should be chasing.
The Bulls probably won’t land a deal as massive as the George-SGA trade, but they can still start building their own version of that reserve through the market. And this season may be the place to begin.
Chicago has several players who could be available by the deadline if the right offers come along. Norman Powell is effectively on an expiring contract and could be moved if his value rises, especially since he doesn’t seem like part of the Bulls’ long-term picture.
Nicolas Claxton could also become a trade chip if the Bulls can revive his value. Tre Jones is another name to watch, and Jalen Smith could be in that mix as well.
If the Bulls handle those opportunities the right way, they can start gathering the kind of draft capital that gives a team real flexibility later. That’s the whole point of the Thunder blueprint - and Chicago has a chance to start copying it now.
In Other News...
Bulls Rebuild Is Already Fueling A Frustrating Contract Debate
As the Bulls lean deeper into a rebuild, the front office is taking a hard look at how much value it is getting from each spot on the roster. In a salary-cap league, those judgments matter as much as wins and losses, and Chicagos current contract picture is already shaping the conversation about who fits the next version of the team and who does not.
Patrick Williams stands out as the clearest example of the pain point, with his contract seen as expensive for the amount of playing time he has provided. On the other side, Tre Jones looks like the kind of efficient bargain every rebuilding team wants to uncover, which only adds to the frustration because the Bulls have both ends of the spectrum sitting in the same locker room. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrong Is Giving Chicago Fans Derrick Rose MVP Vibes
Pete Crow-Armstrong has turned a hot season into a full-blown MVP conversation, and its starting to feel familiar to Chicago fans who remember what it was like when a homegrown star became the face of the league. The Cubs center fielder has climbed into the National League discussion for 2026 by doing everything well: impacting the game at the plate, locking down center field and delivering in big spots. Even with Shohei Ohtani still looming over the race, Crow-Armstrong has made himself impossible to ignore.
What makes the push so intriguing is how the debate has shifted. Ohtani had been the favorite, but he has not pitched since early July, and that has changed the way voters may look at the race. Crow-Armstrong, meanwhile, has built his case on overall value, leading in fWAR as both a hitter and a center fielder while supplying the kind of all-around production that can carry a team and a city into September wondering how far this thing can go. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Korvers Exit Just Revived A Bulls Front Office Debate
Kyle Korvers departure from the Hawks has put his name back in the middle of an old Bulls conversation, the kind that tends to resurface whenever the front office is in transition. After four years as Atlantas assistant general manager, Korver is once again without a defined next step, and his history with Chicago only makes the speculation around him feel more natural than usual.
The Bulls still have a general manager opening, and the timing has only sharpened the curiosity around Bryson Grahams new leadership structure. Nothing has been confirmed about Korver landing in Chicago, but the overlap of his past ties to the city and the teams current search is enough to keep the discussion alive until the next move is made. [Read more 🡒]