The Bulls didn’t land the splashy summer headline some fans were dreaming about, but they did come out of the offseason looking a whole lot more interesting. Chicago has a new general manager in Bryson Graham, a new coach in Tiago Splitter, and a roster that feels built for a different kind of basketball than the one it was playing not long ago.
With two picks in the top half of the NBA Draft, a pile of cap space, and enough flexibility to reshape the roster, the Bulls had a real chance to turn the page. They used that opportunity to add size, length, and athleticism across the board, and the result is a depth chart that looks far more balanced than the one they finished with last season.
At the top of the projected lineup, Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Nic Claxton make for a starting five that stands out immediately. Powell filled the obvious hole at shooting guard after Chicago added Claxton, Wilson, and Dailyn Swain, and the veteran sharpshooter’s arrival locks in the group the Bulls appear ready to open with.
That lineup brings a clear identity. The frontcourt is loaded with size and bounce, and there’s enough length behind the Giddey-Powell backcourt to help cover for Giddey’s defensive shortcomings. Chicago may not be a shutdown team, but it should be respectable on that end because of the rim protection and help defense around those two.
The bigger question is what happens when the Bulls get out and run. In the half court, this group is still a work in progress.
In transition, though, it has the chance to be one of the league’s most entertaining teams. Giddey is a strong passer and playmaker on the move, and the rest of the starting five wants to sprint.
That should lead to plenty of pace and plenty of highlight material, with Buzelis and Wilson looking like natural candidates to show up on the SportsCenter Top 10.
Chicago’s bench also looks more sensible than the one it rolled out after the trade deadline last season, when the guard rotation was crowded and the frontcourt was thin. Tre Jones should be the first reserve off the bench and continue handling backup point guard duties. Isaac Okoro and Jalen Smith are also expected to be part of the rotation right away.
Beyond that, things get murkier. Dailyn Swain, Patrick Williams, and Noa Essengue could all factor in, but their roles are not settled yet.
Swain is a rookie wing, Williams is coming off a disappointing stretch, and Essengue is working back from shoulder surgery. At least one of them probably needs to be in the regular rotation to start the year, though training camp and preseason will likely decide how that shakes out.
Zach Collins is penciled in as the third-string center and should only see the floor in an emergency. Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham sit lower on the depth chart as well, though Dillingham at least has a path to minutes because of his status as a recent eighth-overall pick.
There will be growing pains with a group this young. That much is unavoidable. But this season feels more about what Chicago is building than what it can immediately become, and the Bulls’ new look gives their fans plenty to be optimistic about.
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