During the 2022-23 season, the Chicago Bulls achieved a record of 40-42, securing the 10th position in the Eastern Conference, and ultimately faced elimination by the Miami Heat during the Play-In Tournament.
In the 2023-24 season, the Chicago Bulls posted a 39-43 record, landing them in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and resulting in another Play-In Tournament defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat.
The 2024-25 season saw the Chicago Bulls once again finish with a 39-43 record, placing them ninth in the East and leading to yet another Play-In Tournament exit against the Miami Heat.
Does the aforementioned performance indicate a team demonstrating progress? Does it suggest a team with ambitions of rising above mediocrity anytime soon? Arguably not! However, according to Chicago Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas, they are operating with a strategic plan and are actively putting it into action.
“I believe our trajectory is positive,” Karnišovas expressed to journalists at the season’s conclusion.
This statement came a year after previously informing many of those same journalists, “I am not content with residing in the middle.” According to Karnišovas, however, the situation has evolved significantly. While Chicago remained in a similar position, this was despite the trades involving veteran players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso. The Bulls implemented substantial changes to their playing style and shooting approach, prioritized acquiring “young players with experience,” and witnessed sufficient internal growth to instill optimism within the front office regarding the team’s future direction. As they approach the 2025-26 season, the onus is on the Bulls to demonstrate that their efforts are not in vain. They appear steadfast in their aversion to tanking, but if the revamped, youthful “core” – consisting of Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Coby White – fails to exhibit a higher potential than their predecessors, their endeavors will be futile.
The state of play
Last year: Following four months of competition, Chicago held a 22-35 record, ranking 22nd in offensive efficiency, 27th in defensive efficiency, and 24th in net rating. During the final seven weeks of the regular season, they achieved a 17-8 record, improving to 12th in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and 8th in net rating, although many of these victories were against teams that were either tanking or dealing with injuries. Buzelis emerged as the Bulls’ most promising prospect in recent years, Patrick Williams endured the least productive season of his career (despite signing a five-year, $90 million extension), Lonzo Ball made his highly anticipated return (and secured a two-year, $20 million extension), and Giddey concluded the season on a high note (until their play-in defeat against Miami). Prior to trading LaVine, the former All-Star guard demonstrated greater individual efficiency, but the return (their own 2025 pick, Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, Zach Collins) was merely satisfactory. Nikola Vučević also displayed improved efficiency, but the former All-Star center did not attract trade offers compelling enough for them to pursue.
The offseason: The Bulls selected Noa Essengue, an 18-year-old French big man, with the No. 12 pick. They re-signed Jones (three years, $24 million, team option), traded Ball to Cleveland for Isaac Okoro and, following a prolonged negotiation, signed Giddey, a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $100 million extension.
Vegas over/under: 32.5 wins, according to BetMGM
The conversation
Bulls believer: I am feeling more optimistic about the Bulls now than I have since the first half of the 2021-22 season, which ultimately proved to be a fleeting moment of success. I thoroughly enjoyed their style of play towards the end of last season, and I have probably watched Josh Giddey’s full-court buzzer-beater against the Lakers countless times. I understand that it is currently popular to criticize this team, but it will only take a few weeks before every NBA podcast begins to highlight Chicago as an entertaining League Pass team. Giddey will continue to increase the tempo and deliver audacious passes. It’s impossible not to admire Matas Buzelis. Numerous statistical analysts have also been generating buzz about Noa Essengue. Now is an opportune moment to invest in Bulls stock!
Bulls skeptic: I will not invest in Bulls stock until there is a change in leadership, and I am surprised that you are deriving any positivity from their late-season surge. Giddey’s performance was the most detrimental outcome for the franchise: He displayed just enough improvement as a shooter and ball-handler for the organization to overlook his underwhelming performance in the play-in and compensate him far beyond what he would have received elsewhere. They have now committed $100 million to a defensive liability who lacks floor spacing, struggles to finish effectively, and frequently turns the ball over. Even if Buzelis makes significant strides in Year 2, I do not foresee the Bulls becoming relevant. Do you truly believe that the 18-year-old who was Furphyed at summer league will make a notable impact this year?
Bulls believer: I am uncertain about how long it will take Essengue to become a productive player at the NBA level, if that is your question, but he was a significant contributor to a team that participated in the EuroCup and reached the Basketball Bundesliga Finals last season. That is not insignificant. In any case, my argument is not that the Bulls will be exceptional this season. It is that, while they may regress in the standings, they will not be the dreadful and disorganized team that many anticipate. The Patrick Williams contract was undoubtedly an overpayment, but I believe that people are still punishing Artūras Karnišovas for that error when they criticize the Giddey deal, which was, at worst, a reasonable compromise. It is not as if they awarded Giddey the maximum contract! He possesses flaws, but, as recently as 2024, certain analysts favorably compared him to players such as Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and Franz Wagner. He has not yet turned 23, and, considering that Jalen Suggs received $150.5 million over five years from Orlando, I am confident that Giddey feels as though he lost this negotiation. Incidentally, were you aware that only two players have recorded more triple-doubles than Giddey while wearing a Bulls uniform? Those players are Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Bulls skeptic: Public opinion of Giddey was considerably higher before his weaknesses were exposed in the 2024 playoffs, wasn’t it? How surprising. Look, I am certain that he will accumulate impressive statistical numbers if he continues to play significant minutes with the ball in his hands, but I am not concerned with his 18 career triple-doubles any more than I am concerned with Elfrid Payton’s 17 career triple-doubles. And neither should you! Last season’s Bulls virtually never drew fouls, secured offensive rebounds, or forced turnovers. Their halfcourt defense was subpar, they conceded an excessive number of shots at the rim, and their overall defensive statistics were inflated by good fortune with 3-point defense. They traded their most valuable player midseason, and this summer they exchanged a player who improved them on both ends of the court (Lonzo Ball) for a 6-foot-5 wing who struggles to shoot (Isaac Okoro). The only reason to be enthusiastic about the 2025-26 Bulls is the genuine possibility that they could be remarkably poor, which might enable them to identify a true franchise player in next year’s draft. Oh, that reminds me: That improbable shot that Giddey made against the Lakers essentially deprived the Bulls of Cooper Flagg.
Bulls believer: Well, yes, Giddey’s remarkable shot was one of countless events that resulted in Chicago and Dallas engaging in a coin flip to determine which team would possess a 1.8% probability of securing the No. 1 pick and which would possess a 1.7% probability of securing it. If you believe that the buzzer-beater “deprived the Bulls of Cooper Flagg,” then you have much to learn about probability. Furthermore, the Okoro acquisition is not difficult to comprehend: He is a 24-year-old former No. 5 overall pick who excels in transition and is a formidable perimeter defender. Similar to Giddey in Oklahoma City, his catch-and-shoot statistics are not as unfavorable as his reputation suggests, but his presence on a team aiming to win now amplified his glaring weakness. Chicago appears to be the ideal environment for him, as they will play at a fast pace and exercise patience with his development. My sole concern is that the Eastern Conference is so competitive that, if Giddey, Coby White, and Buzelis build upon their late-season performances, it is possible that the Bulls will make the playoffs and Okoro will be rendered unplayable.
Bulls skeptic: That would be a compelling argument for signing Okoro to a minimum contract. Unfortunately, that is not what the Bulls did. They traded a competent player on a team-friendly contract for the “privilege” of adding yet another non-shooting wing to the roster, and they did not even acquire any draft assets in the process. This is a perplexing move, but, following the Alex Caruso-for-Giddey trade and the Williams contract, it is consistent with the pattern in Chicago. I suppose I am not particularly surprised, either, that the front office has placed a substantial bet on Giddey and once again failed to trade Vučević. The frustrating aspect is that, based on the cap space available to the Bulls next summer and the fact that they control their future first-round picks, the franchise is still, in theory, well-positioned to construct something new and sustainable. I simply lack confidence that they will do so.
