The NBA has finally put the full 2026-27 schedule on the board, and the Bulls are staring at a season that opens with some early road grit. Chicago starts with two straight away games, then comes home for the opener against the Washington Wizards.
The preseason also gets underway on Oct. 7, with five exhibition games total and three of them at the United Center. The final tune-up lands on Oct. 16, which gives the Bulls four full days to reset before they begin the regular season on the road.
That early stretch is a real test. Chicago will have six of its first eight games away from home, the most since the shortened lockout season of 2011-12. It’s also the second time in three seasons the Bulls begin with back-to-back road games.
There’s some clarity now on the national spotlight, too. At the moment, Chicago has three nationally televised games: Dec. 1 at home against the Knicks on NBC, Jan. 14 at the Pacers on Peacock, and Jan. 14 at the Nets on ESPN.
The Bulls do not have any games scheduled on Amazon Prime for now. The NBC game is notable because it will be Chicago’s first appearance on that network since it returned to the NBA last season.
The grind factor is there as well. The Bulls are slated for 15 back-to-backs in 2026-27.
The first one arrives almost immediately, with games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards on consecutive nights after the opener against the Raptors. That Wizards matchup also doubles as the home opener.
Home comfort does show up later in the year. Chicago’s longest stay at the United Center runs six games, beginning with Charlotte on March 6 and ending with Orlando on March 15.
On the other end, the Bulls have four separate four-game road trips, but at least they avoided the five-game road swing that showed up late last season. Even so, several of those four-game trips are followed by just one home game before Chicago heads back out.
The NBA Cup schedule opens on Oct. 30 with a trip to Boston. The rest of Group Play sends the Bulls against the Hawks at home, the Wizards at home, and the Hornets on the road. Chicago has never moved out of the first round.
There are only two mini-series on the schedule. The first comes against the new-look Miami Heat on Dec. 21 and Dec.
- The second is against the Raptors, who visit the United Center on Jan. 17 before the teams meet again in Canada on Jan.
There are also a few reunion dates worth circling. Ayo Dosunmu will be back at the United Center for the first time since he was traded on Jan.
14, 2027. Both Coby White and Nikola Vucevic had already returned to Chicago after their trade deadline moves last season.
And then there’s Tiago Splitter’s revenge game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 14, 2027.
That one lands on Super Bowl Sunday, which helps explain the 12:30 p.m. CT tip-off.
In Other News...
One Young Bulls Player Is Suddenly At The Center Of Trade Talk
With the season still ahead and Chicagos roster in flux, the Bulls are once again being tracked as a team to watch for trade movement. The discussion has centered on a few names who could appeal to other teams or help reshape the rotation, including Isaac Okoro, Jalen Smith and Tre Jones, but the most interesting one is the youngest player in the group, Noa Essengue. His place on the roster has become a real talking point because the Bulls are still sorting out how they view him and where he fits.
Essengues situation stands out because his role has already slipped, making him the kind of player who can surface quickly in trade chatter even without anything imminent on the table. For now, this remains more analysis than reporting on an actual deal, but it does underscore how unsettled the back end of Chicagos roster remains. If the Bulls do make a move, his name appears to be the one that has moved closest to the center of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dalen Terrys Bulls Exit Could Still Lead To A Real NBA Chance
Dalen Terrys path since leaving Chicago has already taken plenty of turns, and it has kept him on the fringe of an NBA opportunity rather than settled into one. After bouncing through a series of transactions and landing on a two-way deal with Philadelphia, Terry found himself back on the open market once the 76ers made roster changes, a reminder of how quickly those end-of-bench situations can shift for young players trying to stick.
Now there is at least another possible landing spot to watch, with NBA insider Jake Fischer noting that Golden State could take a look at Terry this offseason as it tries to sort out its own roster needs. For a former Bull who is still looking to turn movement and uncertainty into something stable, that kind of interest matters, because it can be the difference between another wait-and-see summer and a real shot to stay in an NBA building. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Could Lose A Rookie Shooter Before He Ever Arrives
Donovan Atwells next step is suddenly less straightforward than it looked when the Texas Tech shooting guard was linked to Chicago on an Exhibit 10 deal. The Bulls were reportedly interested in bringing in the perimeter shooter as an undrafted rookie, a low-risk way to get him in the building and see whether his shot translates to the pro level.
A new NCAA ruling has changed the landscape for players from the 2022 class who have used up their eligibility, opening the door for another college season and another chance to boost their profile. For Atwell, that leaves a familiar offseason choice with a fresh wrinkle: start chasing a pro opportunity now, or head back to campus and keep building toward a stronger future draft case. [Read more 🡒]