The Chicago Bulls have already done the heavy lifting this offseason, but one job still hangs out there before training camp opens: filling the final two-way spot.
That last opening shouldn’t be ignored. Chicago can afford to leave its 15th guaranteed roster spot vacant and keep flexibility for the buyout market or a mid-season trade.
The third two-way slot is a different story. If the Bulls are serious about building out the edges of the roster, they need competition for it now.
Bryson Graham has spent the summer reshaping the team, and by the looks of it, he’s done a strong job of carrying out his “SLAP” vision. Chicago passed on both second-round picks, then added Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the first round before bringing in Norman Powell through free agency and Nic Claxton in a trade. Those moves were aimed at lifting both the immediate floor and the longer-term outlook.
Still, a rebuild can’t be all about the headline additions. There’s room - and real need - to keep hunting for talent at the margins.
Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka are already in place on two-way deals, and both give the Bulls something useful on the back end. Sellers brought real defensive edge in Summer League, and his college production at Providence - 18.3 points per game and 42.9% from three in his final season - gives Chicago a reason to believe he could eventually push toward the rotation.
Awaka comes with a different kind of appeal. He’s more limited as a prospect because of his lack of positional height for a big man and his game away from the basket, and he may spend more time in the G League this season while he develops. Even so, there’s still long-term upside if his rookie year shows progress.
What remains unclear is how much runway either player would actually get if Chicago keeps its current bench structure intact all season. That’s why a third two-way contract still makes sense.
A few names are already off the board. Donovan Atwell, who stood out for Chicago in Summer League, is back in college for the 2026-27 season. Lachlan Olbrich signed overseas, and Yuki Kawamura signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
There are still options available, though. Trevor Keels is an unrestricted free agent after averaging 20 points across four Summer League games with the Miami Heat. Graham Ike is also unsigned after averaging 7.4 rebounds in traditional big-man minutes for the Golden State Warriors.
Chicago also has internal possibilities in guards Houston Mallette and Boo Buie, both of whom were on the Summer League roster.
So the path forward is pretty clear: the Bulls have names to work with, and the smartest play may be bringing in multiple players on Exhibit-10 deals and letting them battle for that final two-way contract. Training camp is just under two weeks away, and Graham has a few days left to sort out the last piece.
In Other News...
Bulls Front Office Pressure Is Growing For One Clear Reason
Front office rankings are never the kind of thing teams hang on the wall, but they do tend to sharpen the conversation around a franchise when the offseason starts to fade. In a recent look at all 30 NBA front offices, the Bulls were slotted alongside the leagues lagging group, a placement that reflects how little movement has happened to change their competitive outlook. Bryson Grahams group is being judged not just against the standards of one summer, but against how other teams have used theirs to push themselves forward.
The pressure now is less about a single missed move than the larger picture it creates. Teams like the Knicks, Spurs and 76ers are being held up as examples of front offices that have earned more confidence, while Chicago is still looking for the kind of decisive action that changes the conversation. Until that happens, the Bulls will keep hearing the same question attached to every evaluation of their long-term direction: when does the front office finally do enough to get out of the pack? [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Wilson Hype Is Building But Bulls Fans Need To See This First
Caleb Wilsons offseason has already given Bulls fans plenty to latch onto. The No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA draft recently posted a photo of himself working out with LeBron James Sr., a notable image even if these kinds of runs happen often enough for young players who move in the same pro circles. For Chicago, it is another reminder of how much buzz has formed around a prospect the franchise is hoping can become a difference-maker.
Still, the real story with Wilson is not who he shares a gym with in the summer. The Bulls are going to learn far more about him once the NBA season starts and the games count for something, because his long-term value will come from his own development, production and consistency on the floor. The hype is easy to understand for now, but the next step has to come in uniform, not just in workout photos. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rebuild Optimism Just Ran Into A Brutal Reality Check
The Bulls have spent the offseason trying to reset the direction of the franchise, bringing in Bryson Graham as executive vice president of basketball operations and Tiago Splitter as head coach. It is a clear bet on rebuilding and player development, and it also comes with the kind of roster flexibility and draft capital that can make a long-view plan look more promising than the day-to-day product.
ESPNs latest NBA Future Power Rankings, though, were a reminder that optimism does not always move at the same pace as perception. Chicago landed near the bottom of the league in the evaluation, a sign that the league still wants to see real progress before buying into the new structure, even with the Bulls positioned to have a better hand than theyve had in years. [Read more 🡒]