Bulls' offseason and 2026-27 season preview: Is a new era ahead?

The Chicago Bulls appear to finally be make a leap in their youth movement after seasons of growing pains and turnover. After finishing last season 31-51 and missing the playoffs for the fourth season in a row, an overhaul began this offseason, starting with the hiring of head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who then selected a new head coach, Tiago Splitter. Their first big move: selecting Caleb Wilson at No. 4 in a highly anticipated draft class, with plans to make the UNC standout the next face of their franchise. But Chicago will need to continue to build on the growth from Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Rob Dillingham and other young players while leaning on other offseason additions, Norman Powell and Nic Claxton. Can new organizational direction jumpstart the Bulls back into contention? ESPN's staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces -- one for every team -- rolling out each weekday through Sept. 18. We're answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more. Quick links: Roster | Depth chart | Transactions More Bulls coverage | More NBA Offseason at a glance Key additions: F Caleb Wilson, G Dailyn Swain, C Nic Claxton, G Norman Powell, Tiago Splitter Key subtractions: None Key retentions: F Zach Collins For years, Chicago has been seen as one of the sleeping giants of the NBA, a once-proud franchise reduced to meandering in the play-in tournament and in the middle of the lottery in recent seasons. But the Bulls got a much-needed makeover this summer and enter the 2026-27 season with a clearer direction than they've had in years. The changes have been full-scale: Bryson Graham was hired as the team's new head of basketball operations, Tiago Splitter will patrol the sidelines as head coach, No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson is the new face of the franchise, and he'll be surrounded by some veterans like Nic Claxton and Norman Powell to help ease his transition. -- Jamal Collier Zach Kram's offseason grade: C+ Chicago filled its tremendous amount of cap space with Nic Claxton, Norman Powell and Zach Collins (re-signed after an injury-plagued season). Claxton and Powell are certainly talent upgrades from the roster that ended last season, and they'll help Chicago avoid the new "relegation zone" in the 2027 draft lottery. But it's fair to wonder whether this straightforward approach was the best for the Bulls' long-term future or if a more imaginative course of action could have instead landed draft assets or younger prospects in Chicago. -- Kram What we learned this offseason From Ben Golliver's offseason lessons piece: Caleb Wilson's arrival signals a new era. Many rebuilding organizations find out that changing the front office or coaching staff doesn't always lead to a change of fortune. The Bulls learned this lesson the hard way: They haven't won a playoff series since 2015 despite multiple regime changes. It usually takes a transformational talent to alter a franchise's trajectory, and Chicago might finally have found such a player. Wilson, the No. 4 pick, boasts a rare combination of size, skill and athleticism in a high-energy package, and he drew comparisons to Kevin Garnett and Paul George during a highlight-filled summer league showing. Some patience is in order, however: Wilson will need a few years to add strength and refine his game before he is ready to lead a winner. But with Josh Giddey pushing the tempo, Matas Buzelis running on the wing and Wilson finishing lobs with authority, Chicago should immediately become one of the NBA's most entertaining teams. A little hope and a lot of fun will be welcome in Chicago, which has long needed a star with moxie to step into the void created by Derrick Rose's unfortunate injuries. -- Golliver The big question: How do the current players on the roster fit in for the future? After such a dramatic overhaul to the decision-makers and infrastructure around the team, what does the future hold for some of the old mainstays around the team? Giddey was a key acquisition in 2024 by the previous regime, but it's yet to be seen if he fits Graham's vision for the future. Buzelis has shown promise as a young player, but will Splitter give him more ball-handling duties, and how does he fit next to Wilson? Noa Essengue, a 2025 first-round pick who missed nearly all of last season, will have to re-earn playing time, and overall Chicago will have this season to evaluate whether any of these players fit the team's current trajectory. -- Collier Basketball Power Index rank: No. 26 Here are the predicted Net Points per 100 possessions for the Bulls' top seven players for the 2026-27 season: Of the first seven picks in the Draft, Wilson's individual offensive Net Points correlated the weakest with how well his college team did when he was on the court. This reflects that his role at UNC -- and presumably in the NBA -- was more secondary offense, despite being the sixth leading scorer in summer league. -- Dean Oliver Read about how Net Points works here. Biggest X factor this season Claxton averaged 2.5 blocks per game in 2022-23, but his rim protection has regressed in every season since; last year, he averaged only 1.1 blocks per game while allowing opponents to shoot 60% at the basket. The Bulls are counting on a bounceback from the 27-year-old center -- not only because they needed a new starting center after trading Nikola Vucevic, but because they proactively traded for Claxton instead of using his $23 million salary slot for a different addition in free agency. -- Kram Betting insight from our expert Bet to make ahead of the season: Caleb Wilson to win Rookie of the Year (+350) Wilson was one of the four candidates predicted to be drafted No. 1 overall in this year's NBA draft, based on the strength of his elite athleticism, defensive upside and offensive game he displayed in college. He ended up falling to No. 4 overall, but in Las Vegas summer league, Wilson displayed a brand new proclivity for taking and making 3-pointers off the catch-and-shoot and dribble. If Wilson continues to display that shooting proficiency in the NBA, he has serious Rookie of the Year upside. Particularly as he settles in as the franchise player for a fast-paced Bulls unit that could lead to big numbers. -- Andre Snellings Odds by DraftKings at time of publication.