The Chicago Bulls are going into the 2025-26 season in an intriguing position. The team is coming off of its third straight play-in appearance, finishing last season 39–43. We are still waiting to see what happens with the Josh Giddey restricted free agency saga. Coby White is entering a contract year and will be seeking a lucrative contract. The Zach LaVine trade to the Sacramento Kings. netted the Bulls a series of role players including Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and their original first-round pick. Moving off of LaVine opened the door for White to shoot more, Giddey to set up the offense, and rookie Matas Buzelis to become more integrated in the offense.

Ditch Vucevic. Sign Giddey

It might be time to move on from Nikola Vucević to fully embrace an up‑tempo style of play, especially if Buzelis continues to develop. Now depending on what the price of the offer to Giddey is from other teams. Giddey is the team’s engine. Ideally, a multi‑year deal in the $20 million per year range would balance his value and the team’s financial flexibility. He averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in his first season with the team.

Can Buzelis take the next step?

The franchise has been craving a true No. 1 since Derrick Rose. After the All-Star game, Buzelis upped his scoring from 6.4 to 13 points per game. He began to be more aggressive on the offensive end, and continued encouraging signs on defense. He averaged just over one block per game and just under one steal per game in the second half of the season. Buzelis needs to take the next step in his progression. He flashed signs including a perfect shooting game against the Miami Heat on February 5 last season where he went 10-for-10 from the field and scored 24 points in a win. He also had a career high 31-point game against the Lakers in March. A week later, he had a well-rounded 28-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist game against the Dallas Mavericks. The signs are there for a potential superstar. Hopefully he worked on his game during this offseason to be more of a consistent scoring threat for the team.

My Expectations

The Bulls will be a high-energy, exciting team to watch. They play an up-tempo style of basketball that puts points on the board but there's not much defense. If White continues scoring at a high clip (25+ PPG) and Buzelis takes another step forward, the Bulls could win more games than projected. The team is still learning how to win together and it may take a few more seasons, but I am going to enjoy the process. I anticipate this team will win 35 games. I like the role players of Collins, Jones, and Huerter. A playoff berth is unlikely but the Eastern Conference has some openings so maybe this could be a building block for future seasons in Chicago.