The Bulls are heading into 2026-27 with a starting five that looks built for growth, not shortcuts. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis remain the young pillars, Norman Powell arrives as the veteran bucket-getter, Caleb Wilson joins as the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Nic Claxton brings a different kind of presence to the middle.
After a 31-51 season in which Chicago finished 28th in defense at 12.5 OPPG and ranked 23rd in offensive rating at 113.0, the message is clear: this is a reset built around figuring out what fits. Tiago Splitter is now running the bench, and the front office is still shaping the roster as the rebuild rolls on.
Giddey remains the engine. The projection has him at 18.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.5 turnovers in 32.4 minutes per game, with shooting splits of 46.1% from the field, 37.1% from three, and 76.8% at the line.
He already put together one of the league’s most eye-catching guard stat lines last season, averaging 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in 54 games. At 6’7″, he gives Chicago a rare kind of playmaker, and with more scoring help around him, the Bulls can lean even harder into what he does best.
The next step is making him a steadier scorer, especially from deep, where he hit 36.4% last season.
Powell should immediately change the feel of the backcourt. His projected line sits at 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.8 turnovers over 30.1 minutes, along with shooting marks of 47.2% overall, 40.1% from three, and 87.2% at the stripe.
He comes in after averaging 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for Miami last season, shooting 47.0% from the field and 380% from deep, and earning his first All-Star nod at 32. Chicago signed him to a two-year, $45 million deal, and he looks like the cleanest answer on the roster when the offense needs someone to create his own shot.
Buzelis is the swing piece on the wing. The projection gives him 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 2.2 turnovers in 31.5 minutes, with 47.8% shooting, 37.1% from three, and 80.2% at the line.
He took a big step last season, posting 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 77 games, while also adding 0.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. At 21, there’s still room for his offense to keep climbing, even if Giddey and Powell handle most of the ball.
With his 6’8″ frame and shot-making ability, another jump could put him right in the mix as a 20-point scorer.
Wilson is the biggest unknown, but also the most intriguing one. Chicago drafted the 6’10” forward fourth overall, and the expectation is for him to settle in rather than explode right away.
His projected numbers are 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 1.4 turnovers in 24.8 minutes per game, with splits of 48.9% from the field, 32.8% from three, and 72.4% on free throws. He gives the Bulls another young frontcourt piece next to Buzelis, and there should be room for him to make a real impact if he can finish in transition, work the glass, and knock down open looks.
The projection even has him in the mix for All-Rookie First Team honors.
Claxton rounds out the group with the kind of defensive backbone Chicago badly needed. He’s projected for 12.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers in 28.7 minutes, while shooting 62.1% from the field, 18.0% from three, and 58.7% at the line.
Last season he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks, and his rim protection should matter right away for a team that allowed 121.5 points per game. He doesn’t need to be a featured scorer.
If he finishes around the basket, keeps possessions alive, and anchors the paint, his value will go well beyond the box score.
In Other News...
Bulls Keep Reshaping Bryson Grahams Front Office Before Year 1
The Bulls are still building out Bryson Grahams basketball operations group before his first season in charge even begins. Chicago announced another round of staff updates, with the front office continuing to take shape under the new lead executive after already making major moves by adding Acie Law IV and Stephen Mervis to prominent roles.
Brian Hagan has been elevated to Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, and the Bulls also filled out more of the organizations support structure with Alex Kaufman, Dionne Calhoun, Jarrett Sutton, Justin Irwin and Noah Fox joining in different capacities. The latest changes show how much of the day-to-day infrastructure around Graham is still being assembled, with the G League side and the medical and scouting areas all getting attention as the Bulls put the finishing touches on the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Move On From Keon Johnson And Raise An Immediate Question
Keon Johnsons stay with the Hawks was short-lived, with Atlanta waiving the former first-round pick soon after bringing him in on an Exhibit 10 contract. It leaves him back on the market at a time when a few teams with room to keep looking for back-end roster help could at least take a hard look, and the conversation around him has quickly shifted to which clubs might be willing to give him another chance.
Among the teams mentioned as possible fits are the Nuggets, the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, though nothing has been confirmed by any of them. For Chicago, the interest is more about roster context than anything else, as the front office continues to sort through training camp options and evaluate whether another camp body makes sense in a group that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rebuild Starts With A Camp Battle Fans Will Notice
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Among the most watched names are Rob Dillingham and Patrick Williams, two players whose paths could look very different once the rotation starts to take form. Both are fighting for clarity in a setting where nothing is guaranteed, and that uncertainty reflects how much has changed around the team. For Bulls fans, camp may not offer final answers right away, but it should show which players are gaining trust and which ones are still trying to earn it. [Read more 🡒]