As the Bulls’ rebuild settles into view, one name can’t get buried in the shuffle: Leonard Miller.
Chicago’s 2026-27 priority should be simple enough - get the clearest possible read on the young talent already on the roster. Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis are expected to command most of the spotlight, and the Bulls need to keep funneling touches their way to stay on track with their development. But the picture is bigger than that, with Dailyn Swain, the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, bringing long-term promise as a potential 3-and-D wing, and Noa Essengue offering upside once he adds strength and confidence at the NBA level.
That makes this season a sorting-out process. Chicago will be trying different rotation combinations, learning which players fit together, and hoping to recoup some draft capital by moving tradeable pieces at the deadline. In the middle of all that, Miller cannot be the player who gets overlooked.
The Bulls need a real answer on him before they have to deal with a possible extension, because even if his NBA production has been modest, the frontcourt upside is still there. Miller arrived in Chicago as something of an afterthought in the trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ayo Dosunmu, with Rob Dillingham carrying the bigger long-term appeal in that deal. Still, Miller remains the kind of player a rebuilding team should not let drift away without a proper look.
Across four NBA seasons, Miller has averaged 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists while shooting 31.2% from three-point range. That has left him as little more than a fringe rotational piece so far, and there’s a real chance he could be pushed aside again with Tiago Splitter in charge in Chicago.
But the Bulls are trying to squeeze value out of every young asset they have, and Miller still offers traits that matter. His length and agility made him a borderline first-round type coming out of G-League Ignite, and he’s a strong positional rebounder. If the perimeter shot ever starts falling with any consistency, he has a path to becoming a useful bench piece for whoever signs him to his second contract.
Bryson Graham has already made his preference for defensive upside and athleticism clear, and Miller fits that mold. The challenge is opportunity. With Buzelis, Swain, Essengue, Isaac Okoro, and even Patrick Williams in the mix on the wing and in the frontcourt, minutes will be hard to come by.
That’s exactly why Chicago has to put Miller in the rotation conversation from day one. Walking into his pending restricted free agency without a firm read on how he fits would amount to giving up on an asset when every young player matters.
In Other News...
Bulls Should Ignore The Obvious Flyer For A Better Young Fit
When a young wing becomes available, the instinct around the Bulls is to look first at the obvious free-agent fit, especially if he is just 21 and still carries the promise of upside. Cameron Whitmore has landed in that conversation after being waived from his rookie-scale contract, and it is easy to see why fans and media would circle him as a possible low-cost swing for a team that can always use more long-term athleticism on the perimeter.
But if Chicago is really trying to add a young player who already has some real NBA experience, the better path may not be the free-agent route at all. Memphis forward GG Jackson II checks a lot of the same age-related boxes while bringing more size and a stronger production profile, which is why the more interesting question for the Bulls is whether the front office should be looking at the trade market instead of settling for the most convenient name on the waiver wire. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Just Added A Wild Twist To Bulls Fans Nightmare
Donovan Mitchells 71-point eruption against the Bulls on Jan. 2, 2023, was already one of the most painful nights in recent Chicago memory, the kind of overtime loss that lingers because it felt so improbable. On a recent podcast, Mitchell added a new layer to the story, saying the night before that game was unlike his normal routine and that he still had to shake off a sluggish first half before taking over.
At halftime, Mitchell had only 16 points, hardly a warning sign for what was coming next. He then flipped the game with a huge second half and overtime surge, piling up points at the foul line and everywhere else as the Bulls watched the night slip away in historic fashion. [Read more 🡒]
Matas Buzelis Has One Big Offensive Question Under Tiago Splitter
Matas Buzelis has spent enough time around the Bulls to understand how role definition can shape a young scorers development, and now he is looking at his offensive game through a wider lens under new coach Tiago Splitter. On the Cousins Podcast, Buzelis talked about the value of midrange shooting as part of a more versatile attack, the kind that can give a wing or forward more ways to stay dangerous when the lane is crowded and defenses are keyed in on the rim and the perimeter.
For Chicago, the bigger question is how much freedom Buzelis gets to explore that part of his game as he continues to grow into a more complete scorer. Midrange work is not usually the first thing teams prioritize in todays spacing-heavy league, but it can still matter when a young player needs another way to keep defenders off balance and force them to react differently on the next possession. [Read more 🡒]