The Chicago Bulls finally did it. After years of hovering in the NBA’s no man’s land - not quite good enough to contend, not quite bad enough to bottom out - they hit the reset button.
The 2026 trade deadline was supposed to be the moment the Bulls chose a direction. And to their credit, they did.
But the way they went about it? That’s where the questions start piling up.
Let’s rewind to the start of this season. Chicago came out of the gates hot, rattling off five straight wins - their best start since that iconic 1996-97 title run.
And while no one was confusing this group with the Jordan-era Bulls, the energy was real. Josh Giddey, handed the keys to the offense, looked like a breakout star.
Nearly averaging a triple-double, Giddey brought size, tempo, and creativity to the point guard spot. His playmaking opened things up in a way this team hadn’t seen in years.
There was a rhythm to the offense, a sense of purpose.
But that early surge masked some serious cracks.
As the schedule toughened, so did the reality check. Defensive lapses started to pile up - too many straight-line drives, too little rim protection, and a rotating cast of defenders who couldn’t keep the point of attack in check.
The Bulls dropped seven straight between November and December, and just like that, the good vibes were gone. By February, they were 24-27 and slipping out of Play-In range.
The front office faced a crossroads: chase a fringe playoff spot or go all-in on a rebuild.
They chose the latter - and they didn’t tiptoe into it.
Coby White, their leading scorer, was traded. Nikola Vucevic, the veteran big man, gone.
Ayo Dosunmu, the homegrown guard with two-way upside, also shipped out. In return, the Bulls brought in a youth-heavy package: Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, and Collin Sexton headlined the incoming group, along with a staggering nine second-round picks.
It was a clear signal - this team is prioritizing development over wins.
But in the days that followed, the new-look Bulls stumbled into a three-game losing streak. Giddey and Tre Jones both went down with hamstring injuries, and suddenly, the rebuild’s foundation looked a little shaky.
The trades marked a definitive shift - but the way the Bulls executed their teardown raised some eyebrows. The biggest issue? Timing.
Eighteen months ago, both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu were outperforming their contracts. They were the kind of players who could’ve fetched real value - think first-round picks or high-upside prospects.
But by waiting until now, with free agency looming and contract leverage gone, the Bulls were negotiating from a weaker position. Instead of landing cornerstone assets, they walked away with a pile of second-rounders.
Useful, sure. But transformational?
Not quite. There’s a massive gap between first-round capital and second-round volume - and Chicago fell on the wrong side of that line.
Then there’s the roster construction. In just a few days, the Bulls added Ivey, Simons, Sexton, and Rob Dillingham - four high-usage guards who all need the ball to thrive.
Add that to a backcourt already featuring Giddey and Jones, and you’ve got a serious logjam. At one point, Chicago had ten guards on standard contracts and just one healthy center over 6'10" in Nick Richards.
That’s not just an imbalance - it’s a developmental bottleneck.
Rebuilds are about clarity. You want young players in defined roles, growing within a system that supports their strengths.
Instead, Chicago created a crowded backcourt with overlapping skill sets and minimal frontcourt support. That kind of imbalance doesn’t just complicate rotations - it risks stunting the very growth the rebuild is supposed to foster.
And then there’s the Coby White trade - or rather, the aftermath.
After sending White to the Hornets, the deal had to be amended post-deadline when Charlotte flagged a left calf issue they felt wasn’t fully disclosed. The Bulls ended up returning one of the three second-round picks they had received.
On paper, it’s a minor loss. But symbolically?
It’s a stumble. In a rebuild where perception and process matter, it’s the kind of misstep that can undercut momentum.
So where does that leave Chicago?
They’ve embraced youth. They’ve stockpiled picks.
They’ve shifted into a new era. But the foundation is still uneven.
Without rim protection, without size, and with a guard-heavy roster that lacks balance, the Bulls risk spinning their wheels. The next step has to be consolidation - flipping some of that guard depth into frontcourt help and, ideally, future first-round equity.
That’s how you turn a reset into a rebuild with direction.
Because right now, the Bulls didn’t just clear the decks - they may have created more questions than answers. If they don’t realign soon, February 2026 won’t be remembered as the start of something new. It’ll be remembered as the moment the rebuild lost its shape before it even began.