The Bulls are not going to finish this rebuild in one clean sweep, and the next step is pretty clear: Chicago has to show real growth on the floor while also making the right adjustments along the way.
A lot has already gone right. The front office has been reshaped, Tiago Splitter is in place to run the team, and Caleb Wilson gives the Bulls a young talent with major upside. Norman Powell was another strong offseason pickup, bringing three-point shooting and veteran experience to the roster.
But the job is nowhere near done. For this thing to keep moving forward, the Bulls need to see meaningful development from Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. If those three take another step, it changes the whole picture.
What makes that even more important is the way they fit together. Individual improvement matters, sure, but Chicago needs to find out whether these players can raise their level while actually complementing one another. If they do, that trio starts looking like the kind of young foundation teams build around.
Giddey matters just as much as the other two. Lonzo Ball showed how valuable a gifted point guard can be during his time in Chicago, and Giddey’s role in making the offense hum could be a huge part of this season.
The Bulls also have to get better defensively if they want to get the most out of their offense. Teams such as the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder made the case for how much a strong defense can carry a group.
And in the East, the offensive talent is going to keep testing them. That challenge should push Chicago toward the defensive level this roster needs.
There’s another layer to this, too: the Bulls have to keep adjusting during the season. That’s how they’ll learn what they actually have, what each player can give them, and how much those pieces might be worth down the road. It’s also the best way for the organization and its fans to get a real read on this roster.
The offseason matters just as much. With a young group and a fresh start, the Bulls need to show they can keep making the right moves and keep improving from here.
The direction is encouraging. Now Chicago has to prove it can keep building on it.
In Other News...
Billy Donovan Just Raised A New Concern Around Bulls Prospects
The college-to-pro path keeps getting messier, and Billy Donovan thinks the line should be a lot clearer. The former Bulls coach, now an assistant in San Antonio, said he has seen college coaches reach out to players in the G League about returning to campus basketball, even as those players have already made the jump into the professional ranks. His view is simple enough: once a player leaves college for a pro league, he ought to stay there.
Donovan did draw a distinction for undrafted players who are trying to find their way back into school ball, saying he is supportive of that route. What makes the issue feel more immediate for Chicago is the way Donovan framed the broader recruiting reality around the Bulls G League sphere, where teams are now navigating a market that did not exist in anything like this form a few years ago. The names he had in mind were not identified, but the concern he raised is one plenty of front offices are now watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Linked To Intriguing Role In Proposed Lakers Mavs Trade
The Lakers miss on Jonathan Kuminga has already sent the rumor mill into a new gear, and one proposed response would drag the Bulls into the picture as a facilitator. NBA insider Jake Weinbach floated a three-team framework that would send P.J. Washington from Dallas to Los Angeles, while Chicago would be the third club helping make the math work in a deal centered on roster reshuffling and future flexibility.
For the Bulls, the appeal in a setup like that is less about headline talent and more about being the team that can smooth out the transaction for everyone else. The idea is still entirely speculative, but Chicagos role would be part of the same familiar trade landscape that often emerges when one team wants to simplify its books and another needs a clean path to the player it wants. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Wilson Is Giving Bulls Fans A Reason To Dream Early
Caleb Wilson did not wait long to make himself noticed in a Bulls uniform. The rookies Summer League debut turned heads with a 35-point burst, and that showing has only added to the buzz building around a player who already had team sources talking about his early impact. For a Chicago team in the middle of significant offseason change, any sign of upside matters, and Wilson has quickly become one of the more intriguing names in the mix.
What makes the early optimism more interesting is how much work sits behind it. Wilson battled injuries during his college season, then spent the offseason rebuilding his shot with relentless repetition, putting in marathon days from deep to sharpen the part of his game the Bulls believe can translate. The questions now are less about whether he can capture attention and more about how quickly that promise can become something useful once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]