There are still plenty of questions hanging over the Bulls, but ESPN’s latest Top 100 list at least gives Chicago something it hasn’t had in a while: a reason to feel better about the direction of the roster.
ESPN has started rolling out its rankings for the 2026-27 season, and the Bulls landed four players on the list. For a team in the middle of a rebuild, that’s no small thing.
The highest-ranked Bull is Josh Giddey, who comes in at No. 80.
ESPN places him just ahead of Naz Reid, who is now with the Charlotte Hornets, and one spot behind Ajay Mitchell of the OKC Thunder. That makes Giddey Chicago’s top talent on the board, even if a team-leading spot in the 80s isn’t exactly a loud statement for short-term winning.
Norman Powell checks in next at No. 86.
That’s a slight dip from his No. 82 placement on ESPN’s 2025 list, though the move feels more like a reflection of the roster around him than a knock on his game. Powell is coming off the first All-Star season of his career, and Chicago brought him in to be more than a placeholder veteran.
The Bulls wanted a player who can help lift the younger group right away.
Matas Buzelis landed at No. 88, after entering last year’s cycle unranked. ESPN put him ahead of Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Ayo Dosunmu, and Josh Hart. For a young player still building his profile, that’s a notable jump.
Then there’s Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 overall pick, who cracked the list at No. 97. He sits ahead of established names like Luguentz Dort, RJ Barrett, and Jalen Suggs.
For Chicago, the bigger point is less about where each player landed and more about the mix. Three of the four are 23 years old or younger, and that gives the Bulls something real to work with.
Josh Giddey’s passing and unselfishness pair naturally with two athletic wings, and his three-point shooting has trended up in recent years. Wilson and Buzelis both bring the kind of versatility that can let them function inside and outside, with ball-handling and downhill scoring giving the pairing real offensive intrigue.
There’s also plenty to like on the defensive end. Buzelis finished top 6 in the NBA in total blocks last season, and Wilson brings length, timing and the footwork to stay with smaller guards. The idea of those two switching across positions gives Chicago a possible identity on that side of the floor.
Powell’s presence matters here too. He may not be part of the long-term core, but he gives the Bulls a legitimate veteran who can make the younger players better instead of just filling minutes.
And even with all the talk about the future, the 2026-27 season still matters in the standings. The NBA’s changed lottery odds make finishing in the bottom three less attractive than it used to be, and the Bulls may have helped themselves by raising their floor with Powell while still keeping a path toward a stronger pick.
A Top 100 list is never the final word on anything, and the Bulls have had multiple names on it before during the LaVine, DeRozan, Vucevic Era. But this feels different.
Those teams were built around older, established players who were ranked lower than you’d want. This group is younger, more flexible, and much more likely to rise than fall.
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