The Bulls’ 2026-27 rotation has a different look, and the pressure points are pretty easy to spot. Norman Powell and Nic Claxton are the veterans meant to steady things, while Chicago’s two first-round picks will be judged on a longer runway. The question isn’t just whether these additions help - it’s how far each one can swing between their best and worst outcomes.
If Chicago wants to steer clear of the NBA’s new “relegation zone,” the Bulls need the upper end of those ranges to show up. But there’s also a path where things go sideways and the long-term picture still gets a little brighter. Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka are left out here, since their roles depend so much on injuries and how the rotation settles.
Norman Powell is the clearest veteran swing piece, and maybe the most complicated one. His contract gives Chicago real trade flexibility by mid-season, so the best-case version might even involve him becoming a deal chip for a contender before the year is out.
If he stays put, the ideal outcome is simpler: Powell plays like the starting-caliber shooting guard he’s been over the last couple of seasons, knocks down threes at close to a 40% clip, and takes some of the on-ball burden off Josh Giddey. That kind of production would give the Bulls some actual structure around their young core.
The downside is less about a dramatic collapse and more about him not being able to fill that role. If Powell isn’t functioning as a starting-level shooting guard, Chicago’s rotation gets shakier and moving his contract becomes much tougher.
Claxton’s range is easier to draw. The Bulls may not be built to contend in 2026-27, but they should still be a cleaner environment than the Brooklyn Nets were for much of his time there.
That’s what makes him so interesting. If Claxton can log around 30 minutes a night and bring some fast-break juice even without a big scoring load, he could end up looking like a steal.
The worry is workload. He hasn’t had major injury problems in recent seasons, but the Bulls don’t have much in the way of reassuring backup size behind him.
Zach Collins and Jalen Smith don’t exactly inspire confidence, so any real missed time from Claxton could drag the whole rotation down fast.
Caleb Wilson brings the most long-term intrigue. Chicago already knows what it wants him to become: a two-way star forward.
The rookie-year version is a different story. If he keeps making threes the way he did in Summer League and starts to look like a real offensive option by season’s end, that’s a major step.
The Bulls would also want to see him keep growing defensively while becoming more comfortable attacking downhill alongside Matas Buzelis in the frontcourt. The concern is polish.
His handle and his shooting away from the rim still leave room for doubt, and those are the areas that will shape how much confidence Chicago has in his rookie season.
Dailyn Swain is a different kind of rookie test. After the way he looked in Summer League, the baseline expectation is pretty simple: start making shots more consistently.
But the Bulls also seem interested in developing him as a complementary playmaker, so the best-case version is bigger than just improved scoring. If he can shoot with more confidence, get real on-ball reps, and carve out a spot in the backcourt rotation, that’s a meaningful win for the 15th overall pick.
The floor is ugly, though. Swain shot just 12.9% from the field in Summer League, and while his regular-season floor should be much higher, a rookie year with no confidence and no scoring threat would make it tough for him to stay in the rotation on any consistent basis.
In Other News...
Bulls May Already Have A Costly Matas Buzelis Decision Looming
The Bulls are heading into training camp with a clear eye on development, and that makes Matas Buzelis one of the more important names on the roster to watch. Chicago wants to see growth from its young core, including No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, but Buzelis remains a big part of the larger picture after arriving as a former lottery pick with real long-term upside.
What makes the situation more interesting is the timing. Buzelis is now moving toward a pivotal stretch in his Bulls tenure, and the front office has to start weighing how he fits into the teams future plans before any real contract conversation gets serious. Recent wing deals around the league are already serving as a useful measuring stick, which only adds to the pressure on Chicago to get this one right. [Read more 🡒]
Norman Powell Just Changed How Bulls Fans Should View This Rebuild
Chicagos offseason overhaul has made the next phase of the rebuild feel real, with a new lead executive and head coach stepping in as the franchise tries to reset its direction. Norman Powell is part of that change now, signing a two-year deal and arriving as one of the more established voices in a locker room that is clearly being reworked for what comes next. With training camp close and media day set for Sept. 28, the Bulls are moving from theory to the first actual test of how this group will fit together.
Powell did not sound like a player treating Chicago as a soft landing spot, either. He said the Bulls were not a team he expected to land with in free agency, and the surprise was only part of the reaction. What stood out more was how quickly he framed his role around the roster around him, noting how young the group is and leaning into the idea of helping shape the culture rather than simply filling a spot. For a team trying to define its rebuild, that kind of veteran presence can matter almost as much as any on-court production. [Read more 🡒]
The Bulls' Next Front Office Faces One Rebuild Question That Matters Most
Bryson Graham is stepping into a Bulls front office that inherits a familiar debate: stay on the middle path or finally choose a direction. Under Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago leaned away from tanking and toward a steadier, less aggressive approach in the trade market, a course that kept the team from bottoming out but also left plenty of uncertainty about how to close the gap at the top of the East.
The bigger question now is timing. With several Eastern Conference rivals carrying their own aging cores, rebuilding projects, or uncertain futures, the Bulls have a chance to think beyond the next season and plan for a later window when the landscape could look very different. For Graham, the real challenge is deciding whether Chicago should wait for that opening or start shaping itself around it now. [Read more 🡒]