NBA Preview: Bulls finally have a direction, but patience required

The Bulls have spent years going nowhere slowly. They weren’t good enough to matter, bad enough to start over or bold enough to choose between the two.

That finally changed this summer. Chicago hired Bryson Graham to lead its basketball operations, named Tiago Splitter as coach and selected Caleb Wilson with the fourth overall pick. Nic Claxton and Norman Powell were added to stabilize the roster around him.

For the first time in years, the Bulls appear to have a direction. Now they need to prove it is the right one.

What changed

Chicago finished 31-51 and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. The Bulls haven’t won a postseason series since 2015, a remarkable drought for one of the NBA’s most recognizable franchises.

Graham and Splitter inherit a roster with more useful pieces than the record suggests. Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Rob Dillingham form an intriguing young group. Wilson gives Chicago something it has lacked since Derrick Rose’s injuries changed the franchise: a prospect with a legitimate chance to become its centerpiece.

The Bulls used their cap space on Claxton, Powell and the return of Zach Collins. Claxton provides athleticism, rebounding and rim protection. Powell gives Splitter a proven scorer and veteran who can prevent the offense from collapsing when the younger players struggle.

Those additions should make Chicago better immediately. Whether making the Bulls respectable was the best use of their financial flexibility is a different question. ESPN gave the offseason a C-plus, noting that the organization might have used that space to pursue additional draft assets or younger players.

The moves make sense. They just weren’t especially imaginative.

The biggest question

Who besides Wilson belongs in Chicago’s long-term plan?

Giddey was acquired by the previous regime. He can push the pace, rebound and create for others, but Graham must decide whether he fits the type of team the Bulls intend to build.

Buzelis may be the most interesting evaluation.

He has shown enough size, skill and scoring potential to warrant a larger role. Splitter must determine whether Buzelis is primarily a finisher or someone who should be trusted with additional ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities. His fit alongside Wilson will matter even more.

Noa Essengue, a 2025 first-round pick, essentially lost last season to injury. Dillingham remains talented but undersized. Both should receive opportunities, but neither is guaranteed anything under the new leadership.

This is an evaluation season disguised as an attempted climb up the standings.

The player who changes everything

Wilson looked like a future star during summer league, showing the size, athleticism and energy that made him one of the draft’s most coveted prospects.

The early comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Paul George are flattering. They are also unfair. Wilson needs time to gain strength, sharpen his offensive game and learn how to impact NBA games when athleticism alone isn’t enough. Chicago shouldn’t rush him simply because the franchise has waited so long for someone worth getting excited about.

Still, the possibilities are obvious. Giddey can create in transition. Buzelis can run the wing. Wilson can finish above the rim and defend across multiple positions. The Bulls may not win much immediately, but they should at least become faster, younger and considerably more entertaining.

After years of basketball without much purpose, fun would represent progress.

The outlook

The Bulls are unlikely to contend this season. That shouldn’t be the standard.

Success means Wilson looking like a franchise player, Buzelis taking another step and Graham learning which holdovers deserve to remain part of the rebuild.

Claxton and Powell should raise the floor enough to keep Chicago competitive. They may even help the Bulls remain around the play-in conversation if the young players develop quickly. That would be fine, provided short-term respectability doesn’t interfere with the larger job.

Chicago has changed executives and coaches before. Those changes didn’t matter because the roster never produced a true foundation. Wilson may finally provide one.

The Bulls don’t need him to save the franchise this season. They just need him to show that, at long last, there is something worth building.