If the early signs are real, Leonard Miller is already forcing the Bulls into a tough conversation: what does a new deal actually look like for him?
That question is gaining steam as Miller’s contributions to the Chicago Bulls’ 2026-27 NBA preseason game minutes have grown, and with that growth has come a louder push from fans to lock him up. The concern is obvious enough. After his first three 2026-27 preseason performances, there’s a growing sense that Miller’s next contract could come with a steep price.
For Bulls fans, that anxiety makes sense. For Chicago’s front office, it’s just part of the job.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham has the tools and the information to sort through a negotiation like this. Miller’s side should be working from a similarly strong foundation, with WME Sports listed by Spotrac as his player representation agency.
And if both sides are looking for a useful comp, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is the name to keep in mind. Pritchard recently agreed to a new two-year, $44.2 million contract with Boston, according to Spotrac.
His résumé gives that number some weight. Pritchard was part of the Celtics’ 2023-24 NBA championship team, won 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, and then backed it up by starting a career-high 50 games while averaging a career-high 17.0 points per game during the 2025-26 season. Spotrac estimates that his extension will be worth 11.49% of the NBA salary cap when it begins in the 2028-29 regular season.
Miller does not need an award to get into that neighborhood. What he does need is steady evidence that his role in the Bulls’ rotation belongs somewhere between reliable sixth man and emergency starter.
That framework is not limited to Pritchard either. It also points to two players Bulls fans already know well: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso. After leaving Chicago, both landed extensions with their new teams that sat around 12% of the salary cap, according to Spotrac.
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard fits the same mold, too. His current three-year, $58.7 million deal also lands in that same 12%-of-the-cap range.
With Spotrac projecting the 2027-28 NBA salary cap at $176 million, an 11.5% starting salary for Miller would work out to about $20.2 million for that season.
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The early national conversation around Wilson has already been split, which only adds to the intrigue. Some outlets see him as one of the leagues most promising rookies and a legitimate Rookie of the Year type, while others have been far less enthusiastic, leaving his stock somewhere between obvious upside and unresolved debate. For Bulls fans, that makes his debut season feel like more than a development project. It is also a measuring stick for how quickly this new chapter can start to look worth the wait. [Read more 🡒]