The Bulls are heading into their season opener with a couple of roster wrinkles already in place.
Tiago Splitter said Tuesday that Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins will stay in Chicago and not travel to Toronto for the first regular season game. Both players are dealing with an illness, according to K.C.
Johnson. Splitter also said two-way players Tobe Awaka and Jaylin Sellers will be on the trip for the road matchup.
Hawkins’ absence doesn’t figure to shake up much for Chicago. The sharpshooter recently signed the Bulls’ third two-way contract, and there was no real expectation that he’d crack the early rotation anyway.
Swain is a different story. The No. 15 overall pick was a regular go-to option for Splitter during the preseason, and while nothing was guaranteed once the games started counting, he had clearly carved out a role. He remains one of the Bulls’ key young pieces and has already gotten chances to handle the ball off the bench.
That leaves Splitter with a small puzzle to solve if Swain is still back at the Advocate Center on opening night. If Chicago goes 10 or 11 deep, Noa Essengue could be the next name to benefit.
He finished the preseason with some strong defensive moments and has the length that could matter against a Raptors team with size on the wings. If the Bulls want another ball-handler instead, Jaylin Sellers might get a shot at his NBA debut.
There’s also a good chance Swain’s absence won’t last long. Chicago plays again in Milwaukee on Friday, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he makes that trip and gets back on the floor later in the week.
Tuesday also brought some front-office housekeeping. Bryson Graham officially exercised the team options on Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue. Both players were already on guaranteed deals through 2026-27, and these options cover the following season.
For Buzelis, the decision locks in his final year before restricted free agency. Given how well he has started his career, there’s a real chance Chicago never has to reach that point. The Bulls can talk extensions with him next summer, and if no deal gets done, he’d play 2027-28 on an expiring contract worth $7.6 million.
Essengue’s option covers his third of four seasons and will pay him just under $6.0 million in 2027-28. Chicago now has one more option decision left on his deal, with the deadline to pick it up or decline it set for October 31, 2027.
None of that should come as a shock. Even with a new front office, it has been clear the Bulls are invested in both former lottery picks. Essengue has a much steeper climb to become a real core piece, but he is also the youngest player on the roster, and it would not make much sense for a rebuilding team to move on from him right now.
There was also one more bit of bad timing around a marquee Week 1 matchup. Bulls-Wizards may not be the kind of game that takes over national TV, but it had real appeal for fans following along on League Pass. The United Center home opener was expected to feature Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson against No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, after the two were supposed to square off at Summer League in Las Vegas before the Wizards shut Dybantsa down early.
That showdown took another hit Tuesday, when Wizards coach Brian Keefe said Dybantsa will miss Wednesday’s season opener. He is day-to-day with an ankle injury suffered in preseason. Washington hosts the Bucks tomorrow, then the Raptors on Friday before flying overnight to Chicago to finish its first back-to-back of the season against the Bulls.
There are still three full days before that game, so Dybantsa could still be available. But with a back-to-back in the middle of the week, Washington may be extra careful if he’s dealing with any lingering issue this early in the season.
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For the Bulls, the fit is obvious enough to at least merit a look. They have an open roster spot and cap space, and Porter could address two needs at once as a shot-creator and perimeter defender. It is the same basic kind of play Chicago made with Norman Powell, signing him on an expiring deal with the idea of moving him later, and Porter could give them another chance to work that angle if they choose to chase it. [Read more 🡒]
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Williams contract remains part of the conversation because the Bulls need more certainty from that spot, and Millers emergence gives them a plausible alternative to think about. If Chicago keeps searching for a reliable backup forward heading into 2026-27, Miller has at least shown enough to make this more than a passing idea, even if the final decision is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]