The Bulls have spent the offseason tearing things down and rebuilding them in a hurry - new front office, new coaching staff, new faces across the roster. It’s a real reset, the kind that signals ambition. But one projection suggests Chicago still has a long climb ahead before it’s back in the league’s upper tier.
Stephen Noh of The Sporting News recently ranked every NBA team for the 2029-30 season, and the Bulls landed at No. 20. That’s several years down the road, and it’s a reminder that even a full organizational makeover doesn’t produce instant results.
Noh pointed to the possibility that Chicago could look very different by then. “The Bulls very likely could have a completely new roster built around Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis by 2029,” he notes in the piece.
“Lead decision-maker Bryson Graham has few ties to any of the current players. Those two will still be young enough that Chicago won't be great, but they could be an exciting low-end playoff team.”
There’s also a financial angle that could shape the next phase. Noh wrote that the biggest changes may arrive next summer, when the Bulls are projected to have more than $50 million in cap space in 2027. On top of that, they’ll have lottery picks to continue adding to the roster.
So the path back is there, but it doesn’t look quick. A Bulls title run isn’t in the cards for this season or next, and this projection says the wait might stretch even further than fans would like.
In Other News...
Bulls Front Office Has Fans Asking If A Real Direction Finally Exists
The Bulls front office got a little more respect in CBS Sports analyst Sam Quinns latest offseason rankings, landing higher than the bottom-tier spots it had occupied before. Chicago has tried to reshape its decision-making structure this summer, moving on from Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley and putting Bryson Graham in charge as the new general manager, a notable shift for a team that has spent too long searching for clarity.
There are signs the new setup is at least trying to be more proactive, with the Norman Powell signing and the additions of Zach Collins and Nic Claxton drawing some attention. Still, the bigger question around the Bulls is whether those moves add up to an actual direction or just another batch of isolated decisions, and that judgment will have to come from what happens next. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Ownership Debate Just Got More Complicated
The latest major ownership shake-up around the NBA arrived in Minnesota, where Marc Lore has sold his controlling stake in the Timberwolves to businessman Marc Stad. Stad is set to become the teams controlling owner and largest shareholder, with Alex Rodriguez remaining as a co-owner and Stad also taking a majority stake in the Lynx. It is the kind of transaction that keeps the leagues ownership market buzzing, especially after the recent blockbuster sales of the Lakers and Celtics.
For Bulls fans, the timing adds another layer to a familiar conversation about what comes next on the business side of the franchise. Chicago already has an intriguing ownership backdrop with Lukas and Samantha Walton holding a minority stake in the team and the United Center, and moves like this only sharpen the focus on how much value is sitting in and around NBA assets right now. The leagues latest sale cycle is making that discussion harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Matas Buzelis Just Reopened A Huge Bulls Fit Question
Matas Buzelis has been giving Bulls fans plenty to think about, and his latest appearance on the Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady podcast only added another layer to the conversation. The young forward talked about how opponents have started to scout him as a physical player, and he also reflected on his role with the Lithuanian national team, where his usage has already been shaped in different ways than what Chicago might eventually ask of him.
For the Bulls, that matters because Buzelis is still in the middle of defining what kind of offensive player he will become at the NBA level. His current production and shot profile already invite questions about how he fits into the long-term build, especially with the 2026-27 season in mind. If his development keeps trending in one direction, the Bulls may eventually have to decide whether his best value comes from spacing the floor or something more demanding. [Read more 🡒]