ChocolateSaltyBulls@RoundtableIO Nic Claxton was brought in to be the Bulls' starting centre, so his hamstring injury wasn't part of the plan. But it could give Chicago an early look at a lineup that, in my opinion, makes more sense for the players they're building around.
I'd start Jalen Smith over Claxton, even when both are healthy.
Claxton is the better defensive centre, but the Bulls need to consider how their starting five fits together offensively. With Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson already in the picture, Smith's shooting could be more valuable than the additional rim protection Claxton provides.
The interesting part isn't just that Smith can shoot threes. It's how that changes the roles of everyone around him.
Smith could unlock more than just spacing
Giddey is at his best when he can get into the paint, force defenders to help and find teammates cutting to the basket. The problem with pairing him with Claxton is that opposing centres can afford to stay closer to the rim. Claxton is a dangerous roll man and lob target, but the offence becomes easier to read when the defence can concentrate its attention around the basket.
Smith shot 37.3% from three-point range in the 2025–26 season on 4.2 attempts per game. That gives opposing centres a reason to follow him away from the paint, creating more room for Giddey to operate.
But the bigger opportunity is what happens when that space is available to Wilson and Buzelis.
Both have the athleticism and length to punish defences with cuts, rolls and lobs. With Smith pulling the opposing centre away from the basket, Giddey has more opportunities to find either player attacking the rim. Instead of relying primarily on Claxton as the team's lob threat, Chicago could have two athletic forwards capable of finishing above the rim.
That's a different kind of offensive threat. Defences would have to account for Smith on the perimeter while also keeping track of Wilson and Buzelis cutting behind them. Help off Smith and he can shoot. Lose track of the forwards and Giddey can find them at the rim.
Smith doesn't just create space. He gives Giddey more options for how to exploit it.
Caleb Wilson doesn't need to be a shooter straight away
Wilson's college numbers suggest the Bulls should initially lean into his interior scoring rather than expect him to become a reliable perimeter shooter immediately.
He shot 72.7% at the rim, 44.2% from short midrange and 44.6% from long midrange, but just 26.1% from three. The sample is limited, so those figures aren't a definitive prediction of his NBA performance. They do, however, offer a useful guide to his current strengths.
Wilson's finishing and midrange touch give Chicago plenty to work with. Get him moving towards the basket, let him attack gaps in the defence and give him opportunities in transition. Smith's shooting can help create the room to do that without forcing Wilson to spend possessions standing in the corner to compensate for a congested paint.
It also gives Wilson time to develop his own perimeter game. If his shooting improves, the Bulls gain another dimension to the offence. If it takes time, they can still use him effectively in the areas where he has already shown promise.
Buzelis benefits from the same arrangement. He needs room to attack closeouts and use his athleticism, rather than constantly encountering a second defender waiting near the basket.
With Smith at centre, Chicago has a better chance of developing both players without sacrificing the space they need to be effective.
Claxton's offensive role overlaps with Giddey's
There's another reason I prefer Smith: Claxton's most natural offensive role overlaps with what Giddey already brings to the team.
Claxton can screen, roll, finish lobs and facilitate from around the basket. Those are valuable skills, but Giddey is already the primary playmaker and offensive hub. The Bulls don't necessarily need to funnel additional possessions through another player whose greatest offensive value comes from operating near the rim.
Smith offers a different fit. He can finish inside when the opportunity is there, but he doesn't need to occupy the same space as Giddey or become a central part of the playmaking structure. His shooting gives Giddey more room to create, while Powell remains the established perimeter scorer and Wilson and Buzelis can attack the openings.
This isn't an argument that Claxton can't play alongside Giddey. It's that Smith gives the offence a complementary skill set rather than adding another player whose strengths are concentrated around the basket.
Can Wilson and Buzelis help cover the defensive difference?
Claxton's defensive value is real. In 2025–26, opponents shot 57.4% on shots at the rim when he defended them, compared with a league average of 65.3%. He's a proven rim deterrent, and Smith doesn't offer the same level of established protection.
But the Bulls have the potential to build their interior defence around more than one player.
Wilson and Buzelis both possess the length and athleticism to provide weakside help and block shots. That won't make either of them a replacement for Claxton, and it remains to be seen how consistently they can provide that help at NBA level. Still, their presence gives Chicago another source of rim protection when opponents get past the initial defender.
Smith can also contribute on the glass. He averaged 6.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game last season, while Claxton averaged 6.9 in 27.8 minutes. The minutes difference matters, but Smith has shown he can provide useful rebounding alongside his shooting.
Some broader defensive-impact models have also rated Smith competitively against Claxton, although the results vary by metric. Claxton has the stronger case for rim deterrence and shot-blocking, but that doesn't automatically make him the better fit in every lineup.
For me, the question is whether the Bulls can offset some of Claxton's defensive advantage through team defence while gaining more from Smith's offensive fit. With Wilson and Buzelis capable of contributing as weakside defenders, I think that is a trade-off worth making.
The Bulls should give Smith the starting job
Claxton will still have an important role. Against teams with dominant interior scorers, his rim protection could make him the better option, and his ability to finish around the basket gives Chicago another way to attack.
But I wouldn't automatically restore him to the starting lineup just because he was acquired to be the starter.
The Bulls need to find out what works best around Giddey, Powell, Buzelis and Wilson. Smith gives them a centre who can stretch the floor, finish inside and make life more difficult for opposing defences without taking the ball out of Giddey's hands.
More importantly, his shooting creates opportunities for both Wilson and Buzelis to attack the rim. That is the part of this discussion I find most compelling. Claxton offers a clear lob threat, but Smith could help turn two athletic forwards into additional threats in the same space, while also opening up driving lanes for Giddey.
I'd start Jalen Smith. Claxton may be the better individual defender, but the Bulls don't need to choose their centre based solely on who protects the rim best. They need to consider which player makes their young core more effective.
If Smith's shooting allows Giddey to create more freely, gives Wilson room to develop and lets Buzelis use his athleticism more effectively, then the offensive benefits could outweigh a modest defensive downgrade—particularly if the forwards can help cover the rim.
Claxton's injury might have disrupted Chicago's plans, but it could also reveal that the best starting centre for this group was already on the roster.Oct 19, 2026 
BullsRoundtableThere is an interesting debate among Bulls fans about whether Caleb Wilson is really a four or simply another version of Matas Buzelis. I think the distinction is clearer than it is sometimes presented: Matas is fundamentally a three who can play the four, while Wilson is a four who can play the five.
Buzelis' 2025-26 shot profile reflects a perimeter-oriented forward, with 51.4% of his field-goal attempts coming from three. His offensive game is built around spacing, attacking closeouts, transition and finishing rather than consistently creating from the post.
Wilson's game is almost the inverse. At North Carolina he averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 57.8% from the field, with much of his production coming around the basket, in the post, on the offensive glass and at the free-throw line. Only 9.2% of his field-goal attempts came from three, highlighting just how different his offensive profile was from Buzelis. NBA’s draft profile also identified his interior scoring, rebounding and developing face-up game as important parts of his offensive projection.
The most intriguing part of Wilson's offensive game, however, is what he can do once he establishes position in the post. Synergy data cited in pre-draft analysis had him producing approximately 1.17 points per possession on post-ups, placing him in the 92nd percentile. Other statistical analysis has put his post shooting around 59%. Those numbers suggest this wasn't simply an athletic player taking advantage of smaller college defenders; his post possessions were consistently producing efficient outcomes.
What makes that production particularly interesting is the range of solutions Wilson already has. He can attack from the left block, use a reverse pivot to change direction, turn over either shoulder, face the defender before driving, sell a shot fake and go underneath, spin away from pressure or use a turnaround jumper when the defender takes away the lane. He can also gather off two feet and use his explosiveness to finish after creating even a small amount of separation. Pre-draft scouting analysis highlighted the progression of these moves throughout his freshman season, while also identifying balance and consistency on some of his more difficult jumpers as areas for improvement.
There is another useful number here. Pre-draft Synergy analysis had Wilson's combined post scoring and passing possessions at approximately 1.15 points per possession, around the 88th percentile. That matters because the value of a good post player isn't limited to scoring. Once a defender has to send help, the post can become the starting point for creating an open shot elsewhere on the floor.
That distinction matters in today's NBA. So much offensive creation begins with a perimeter player handling the ball, attacking a switch or operating out of a pick-and-roll. Wilson potentially gives a team another way to create an advantage. Instead of starting 25 feet from the basket, he can begin with the ball on the block and make the defender react to his footwork, strength, counters and explosiveness.
The comparison with recent high-level prospects is useful, although it should not be overstated. Paolo Banchero entered the NBA with a much more developed perimeter creation game, but his ability to score from the post was also an important component of his offensive profile. Wilson is not at that level as an overall creator, but the efficiency of his college post game suggests there is a legitimate skill worth developing rather than simply a temporary advantage created by superior athleticism.
His three-point shooting remains the biggest swing skill. Wilson made only seven of 27 attempts from three at North Carolina, so there is no basis yet for assuming he will become a high-level NBA shooter. His strong Summer League shooting was encouraging, but a small number of games cannot establish that the underlying issue has been solved. What matters is that Wilson doesn't necessarily need to become a high-volume three-point shooter. If he becomes merely credible enough to punish defenders for completely ignoring him, the value of his post game increases significantly.
That is why I think the positional distinction between Wilson and Buzelis matters. Buzelis' offensive profile is that of a perimeter forward who can operate at the four. Wilson's is that of an interior-oriented four whose perimeter game is still developing. Calling them both "forwards" is technically correct, but it misses the difference in how they create advantages.
The argument for Wilson isn't that he is already an elite NBA post scorer. It is that he has the foundations of a potentially elite post game at an unusually young age. The efficiency numbers, the variety of his counters and the fact that he was already generating offense through multiple post actions make it one of the most intriguing aspects of his projection.
And that's where Bulls fans should get excited. The league has become exceptionally good at defending the actions that every team wants to run. Wilson potentially gives Chicago a weapon that asks a different question. Put a smaller defender on him and he can attack the mismatch. Put a bigger defender on him and his footwork gives him an opportunity to attack their mobility. Send help and he can potentially turn the post into a passing opportunity. Stay home and you are asking a 6-foot-10 athlete with an unusually diverse set of post moves to beat his defender.
Maybe the jumper never develops. Maybe NBA defenses expose limitations in his isolation game. Those are legitimate questions. But if the shooting becomes reliable, the footwork translates and his passing continues to develop, Chicago may have drafted something considerably more interesting than another athletic young forward.
They may have drafted a four who can create an advantage in a part of the court that modern NBA defenses don't spend nearly as much time preparing for.
In a league obsessed with perimeter isolation, that could become a very different kind of weapon for the Bulls — and one that could make Caleb Wilson far more difficult to scheme against than his draft profile initially suggests.
https://youtu.be/Vcej-w9L_sE?si=BCOlRCs2q6sDyB-RSep 19, 2026 BullsRoundtable Patrick Williams is still discovering his game. Selected fourth overall as a raw prospect with elite physical traits, Williams’ early career trajectory has been defined by shifting expectations and an evolving role under ex-head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan initially tested Williams with isolation touches, mid-range pull-ups, and perimeter shot creation opportunities, hoping he would develop into a dynamic two-way wing. Over time, however, as those perimeter experiments stalled, Donovan’s mandate pivoted toward basic motor, rebounding, and fast-deciding 3-and-D fundamentals—leaving Williams constantly calibrating what is asked of him. This developmental turbulence mirrors Aaron Gordon’s early career in Orlando. Drafted fourth overall in 2014, Gordon spent six seasons miscast as a primary perimeter creator, wrestling with high-lottery expectations and inefficient scoring numbers before trading scenery to Denver in Year 7. It was only after that time and structural shift, pivoting away from forced creation into a high-impact connector, lockdown defender, and athletic finisher that Gordon finally blossomed into a championship-caliber weapon.
Williams possesses the exact physical tools to follow a similar blueprint. With his broad chest, lateral quickness, ideal wing length, and explosive athletic profile, he has every physical prerequisite needed to thrive as a high value, modern frontcourt enforcer. In today's NBA, a forward who can absorb contact against elite wing scorers, crash the glass, hit open corner threes, and make quick decisions off the catch is an extraordinarily valuable commodity. Embracing an "Aaron Gordon role" wouldn't represent a regression for Williams; rather, it would optimize his natural physical advantages into a high-impact archetype every winning franchise desperately seeks.
Unlocking that specific dynamic in Chicago, however, won't come without structural hurdles. The Bulls' frontcourt environment does not make this transition easy, as center Nic Claxton provides a vastly different dynamic than the unique Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon combination in Denver. Where Jokić operates as a generational passing hub who routinely rewards Gordon’s weak-side cuts with elite vision, Claxton is a mobile, rim-protecting, dive-to-the-dunk-spot center who occupies similar interior real estate. There is no playmaking center in Chicago to manufacture easy looks for Williams out of thin air.
Yet, for Williams to truly blossom, he cannot wait for a perfect offensive ecosystem to materialize. To fulfill his potential, Williams must take ownership of his physical tools, embrace the dirty work, and find ways to make a Gordon-like impact crashing the glass, setting hard screens, enforcing on defense, and executing with relentless energy regardless of how the floor is spaced around him.Aug 5, 2026 BullsRoundtable Let’s all take a deep breath, put down the spreadsheets, and step away from the keyboard.
If you spend even five minutes scroll-diving into the Chicago Bulls ecosystem lately, you’d think the franchise's entire future hinges on a referendum on Josh Giddey. On one side of the digital trenches, you have the self-proclaimed "Giddey Committee," passionately defending every near-triple-double and flashing his 38% Assist Percentage like a shield. On the other side, the anti-Giddey faction—frequently dismissing the opposition as box-score-watching "Giddiots"—counters by weaponizing his below-average True Shooting percentage and defensive lateral quickness metrics.
It is, frankly, exhausting. And the most condescending part of this entire online war? Both sides are acting like they’ve uncovered a hidden, objective truth, when the reality is staring everyone right in the face.
Let’s spell it out clearly: Josh Giddey is a middle-tier starting point guard in the NBA.
He is neither the generational, playmaking savior that the Committee envisions, nor is he the roster-killing, low-efficiency net-negative that the detractors claim. When you actually strip away the emotion and look at the full analytical landscape, the metrics do exactly what they are supposed to do: they highlight a deeply eccentric, average starter.
His elite court vision and historic rebounding for a guard legitimately elevate his floor-mapping capabilities, earning him top-15 marks in traditional box-score impact models. Simultaneously, his lack of scoring gravity and defensive cross-matching liabilities drag his overall impact down into the bottom third of starting point guards.
When you mash those two realities together, you don’t get a superstar or a bust. You get a solid, middle-of-the-pack NBA starter.
Ultimately, choosing which side of the Giddey fence you sit on isn't a matter of superior basketball intelligence; it’s just personal preference. If you prefer an elite, high-IQ floor general who can grab ten boards and push the pace, you’re going to love him. If you prefer a modern, high-efficiency spacing threat who can lock down the perimeter, you’re going to hate him.
The Bulls could do a whole lot worse at the point guard position. They could also do a whole lot better.
But here is the ultimate reality check for both factions shoving stats, metrics, and angry opinions down each other's throats: he is a part of the Bulls' short-term plans regardless. The front office is going to see this experiment through for now, meaning no amount of tweet-storms or podcast rants is changing the starting lineup by November.
So, please, dissolve the Committee. Retire the insults. Stop treating a standard, middle-tier NBA player like a ideological battleground. Sit back, log off, and just enjoy Summer League.Jul 10, 2026 BullsRoundtable In the modern NBA, bad front offices are bad because they are impatient cooks. They are the ones frantically throwing together a flashy, quick-fix meal—tossing expensive, mismatched ingredients into a pan for a brief, hour-long dinner party that leaves the kitchen a disaster and the franchise starving again by midnight. We’ve watched Chicago suffer through years of that microwave cooking.
But this summer, new Executive Vice President Bryson Graham made it clear he isn’t interested in making a quick appetizer. In his first full offseason at the helm, Graham isn't cooking dinner; he is simmering a foundational, deep-flavored broth. He is building a cultural demi-glace designed to coat this franchise for the next decade.
For the basketball purist they could smell it cooking the moment draft week opened.
Redefining the Base Ingredients
A true demi-glace takes patience, heat, and a reduction of everything unnecessary down to a rich, unmistakable essence. For Graham, that essence is a definitive team identity: Size, Length, Athleticism, and Physicality (the "SLAP" philosophy), perfectly balanced by elite perimeter gravity.
Instead of chasing flashy, long-term cap traps, Graham systematically layered premium, complementary ingredients into the pot:
- The Anchor (Nic Claxton): Swallowing Claxton’s $23.3 million salary into open cap space was a masterclass in foundational cooking. He didn’t surrender premier future draft assets to get him. He brought in an elite rim-protecting, switchable defensive five to set the tone for head coach Tiago Splitter. Claxton is the heavy bone structure of this entire defense.
- The Engine (Caleb Wilson): Jumping up to No. 4 felt like luck, but capitalizing on it with Wilson was pure design. Wilson is a hyper-athletic, two-way kinetic force. His jumper needs development, but his ability to run the floor, block shots, and wreak havoc in transition is an elite ingredient that cannot be taught.
- The Acid (Norman Powell): A rich broth needs acid to cut through the heavy fat of raw, non-shooting athleticism. Signing Powell to a 2-year, $45 million deal is the ultimate balancing agent. Coming off a career-best All-Star campaign where he poured in 21.7 points per game, Powell brings a lethal 40% career stroke from deep. His presence fundamentally changes the geometry of the floor, creating wide-open lanes for Josh Giddey to orchestrate and Caleb Wilson to slash.
- The Wing Depth (Dailyn Swain): Taking Swain at No. 15 drew minor scoffs from consensus draft boards who labeled it a reach. But Graham didn't care about external consensus; he cared about the flavor profile. Swain brings 6-foot-8 length, defensive toughness, and switchability.
Trimming the Fat
Perhaps the clearest sign of a chef who trusts his process was how Graham handled the second round. Punting on picks No. 38 and No. 56 for cash and future swap rights drew immediate groans from a fanbase conditioned to look for immediate satisfaction.
But a master saucier knows when to skim the surface. Graham recognized that forcing a developmental rookie onto a roster that already features young talents like Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey would just cloud the liquid. Instead, he extracted financial flexibility and future draft capital.
Prepping the Pantry
The true genius of this design lies in how quickly Graham can scale this kitchen. In an era where desperate front offices lock themselves into rigid, multi-year financial traps, Graham has kept his workspace completely immaculate. Outside of the core draft picks, Josh Giddey, and Patrick Williams, every single contract on the Bulls’ books runs for two years or less. He hasn't overpaid a mid-tier veteran just to add a flashy dish to a broken menu; he has preserved his ingredients. With unburdened books, an intact chest of future first-rounders, and a growing stash of extra draft capital, the Bulls have ultimate roster agility. When the foundation finally sets, Chicago won’t just be sampling a rich base—they will have the exact assets and financial muscle required to turn this simmering broth into a multi-course championship banquet.
The Long Simmer
The casual observer might look at this roster and wonder how the pieces timeline out. They want the fancy plate right now.
But Graham understands the landscape of the modern, apron-restricted NBA. By securing a team option on the second year of Powell's deal and keeping Claxton on a short-term financial footprint, the Bulls retain total mastery of their kitchen. If the broth reduces perfectly and this team surges ahead of schedule, Powell and Claxton are your premium veteran pillars. If they need to pivot, those contracts transform into highly lucrative assets.
The sauce is going to take time to reduce. There will be nights where the offense looks raw, and the young pieces clash. But for the first time in a generation, the Bulls aren't just trying to survive the night—they are building a foundation that will feed them for years.
For the portion of the fan base that feels underwhelmed by a summer lacking a flashy, instantly gratifying superstar signing, remember the mandate: Graham explicitly promised he would not skip steps. Chopping the onions, searing the bones, and letting a broth reduce on a low flame isn't the most glamorous or exciting part of a chef’s job, but it is the prerequisite for greatness. It is the hidden labor that dictates the quality of everything that follows. Bryson Graham has only just walked into the kitchen, turned on the burner, and prepped his base. The masterpiece comes later. For now, Bulls fans just need to sit back and let the man cook.Jul 3, 2026 BullsRoundtable The Chicago Bulls have completely reshaped their future over
a chaotic few months, constructing a fascinating, ultra-long basketball lab
experiment. The roster overhaul kicked into overdrive during the draft, where
front office lead executive Bryson Graham infused the lineup with infinite arms
and perimeter upside by adding dynamic lottery rookies Caleb Wilson (No. 4
pick) and Dailyn Swain (No. 15 pick). They join an intriguing foundation
already on the roster: playmaker Josh Giddey, the versatile scoring
instincts of Matas Buzelis, and floor-spacing big man Jalen Smith. To anchor
this entire movement, Graham swung a blockbuster trade to land elite interior
eraser Nic Claxton.
The Bulls have committed entirely to a new era of high-flying
transition offense and switchable defensive length. It is an electric
blueprint. But when the game slows down into a half-court mudfight, this unit
faces a glaring, flashing red warning light: a severe lack of perimeter gravity
and an immediate need for dynamic off-the-dribble shot creation to support
their young engines.
To solve this puzzle, the Bulls face a fascinating fork in
the road in free agency. In the left corner, we have the incumbent, 27-year-old
pick-and-roll spark plug. In the right corner, the 33-year-old rugged All-Star
veteran rumored to be on the move from Miami.
Let’s put them in the ring and let them fight it out over
five intense rounds. In the Blue Corner we have An
Round 1: The Offensive Engine
Anfernee Simons: The Sniper-Engine
Simons is a pure modern offensive cheat code. We’re talking
about a guy who self-creates roughly half of his made three-pointers entirely
off the bounce. When he shifts off-ball, his catch-and-shoot efficiency hits a
ridiculous 42.9%.
Simons acts as the ultimate pressure-valve for the entire offense. His perimeter threat pulls defenders out of the paint, instantly opening up driving lanes for Giddey, creating clean cutting paths for the slashing wings like Wilson and Buzelis, and unlocking dynamic vertical lob spacing around the rim for Claxton. Crucially, Simons provides an alternative lead initiator. When Giddey heads to the bench, the offense won't grind to a halt; Simons allows the Bulls to stagger their backcourt and maintain 48 minutes of high-level half-court creation.
Norman Powell: The Ultimate Finisher
Powell just wrapped up an All-Star campaign dropping 21.7
points a game while sniping 41.2% on catch-and-shoot looks. He is a walking
bucket, but here’s the catch: he is a play-finisher, not a creator.
Powell requires an established playmaking infrastructure to thrive. While his deadly shooting gives Jalen Smith and Claxton more room to breathe inside, it forces Giddey to carry an overwhelming load as the roster's lone elite half-court creator. Without a secondary engine on the floor, the natural playmaking growth of young ball-handlers like Swain could be stunted by overdue developmental pressure.
Round
1 Winner: Anfernee Simons:
His self-creation and ability to anchor staggered lineups provide the exact catalyst needed to balance the young core's diverse offensive skill sets.
Round 2: The Defensive Shield
Anfernee Simons: The Turnstile
Look, Simons weighs 181 pounds dripping wet. His
point-of-attack screen navigation routinely ranks near the bottom of the
league.
Putting him in the backcourt means Giddey is exposed to quick, twitchy lead guards on the perimeter. It forces a massive defensive burden onto the backline, meaning Claxton, Jalen Smith, and the rangy, elastic limbs of Buzelis and Wilson have to constantly fly around the floor to cover up perimeter blow-by's.
Norman
Powell: The Linebacker
This is where Powell swings back with a steel chair. Built
like a brick house at 6'4" and 215 pounds with an absurd 6'11"
wingspan, Powell loves the dirty work.
Powell provides the ultimate defensive infrastructure. He can take the toughest perimeter assignment to shield Giddey, while utilizing his strength to complement the disruption of Swain on the wing. With Powell fighting through screens, the frontline length of Wilson, Buzelis, Smith, and Claxton transforms from an emergency cleanup crew into an impenetrable, proactive wall of defense.
Round 2 Winner:
Norman Powell
An absolute knockout. He provides immediate, sturdy perimeter resistance that maximizes the roster's massive defensive upside.
Round 3: The Timeline
Anfernee Simons: The Perfect Bridge
At 27 years old, Simons hits the absolute sweet spot. He has
veteran playoff reps under his belt but aligns perfectly with Claxton (27) and
Jalen Smith (26) as part of the core's prime-age tier.
He provides a multi-year scoring foundation that easily tracks with Giddey's developmental arc, while giving teenage cornerstone pieces like Wilson (19) and Buzelis (21) a stable veteran perimeter partner to grow alongside for the next half-decade.
Norman Powell: The Win-Now Accelerant
Powell brings a championship ring from Toronto and
immaculate veteran culture, but he turned 33 years old last month.
Signing him to a massive multi-year deal worth upwards of $22 million annually heavily accelerates a winning window your youngest pieces aren’t ready to support. It puts an unnatural rush on the development of Swain and Wilson, creating an unstable timeline gap between a 33-year-old star and a group of developing early-career prospects.
Round
3 Winner: Anfernee Simons
Age and timeline alignment give the young guard the distinct edge across all tiers of the roster.
Round 4: The Core Synergy & Insulation
Anfernee Simons: The Spacing
Catalyst
Simons brings the offensive elite-tier spacing that acts as
oxygen for a reconstructed roster.
His shooting gravity lets Giddey play as a true "pass first playmaker" with space to manipulate passing angles, and allows Jalen Smith to comfortably pick-and-pop from the four or five spot. In return, the core is uniquely built to insulate Simons' defensive flaws. The hyper-athletic, weak-side shot-blocking of Buzelis and Wilson, combined with Claxton’s interior erasing, ensures that when Simons gets beat, a mountain of length is waiting behind him to clean it up.
Norman Powell: The Low-Maintenance
Finisher
Powell offers a zero-fat, highly efficient scoring profile
that fits cleanly into structural gaps.
Powell gives the team a premier weak-side punisher who doesn't need to dominate the ball to give you 20 points. Because Giddey, Wilson, and Buzelis all possess high-level passing instincts, Powell's total lack of distribution skills is completely hidden. He is allowed to strictly catch, drive straight-line, and finish above the rim alongside the vertical gravity of Claxton and the baseline cuts of Swain.
Round
4 Winner: Anfernee Simons (Slight Edge)
While the core perfectly hides Powell's playmaking flaws, dynamic perimeter gravity and pull-up shooting are far rarer commodities to acquire on the open market. The core’s length is better leveraged hiding Simons on defense than trying to manufacture shot creation for Powell on offense.
Round 5: The Contract War & Financial ROI
Anfernee Simons: The High-Upside
Repair Project
Simons is coming off an injury-shortened walk year split
between Boston and Chicago where his raw production took a hit. Market fatigue
has adjusted his baseline, and experts project him looking at a three-year,
$54M to $60M contract (~$18M–$20M annually) in a cooler market.
At a speculated $18M a year, you are paying for age-27 prime years. His past production proves that when handed a 25%+ usage rate, he guarantees elite scoring. He represents a highly tradeable asset whose contract lines up perfectly with Giddey and Claxton's respective prime windows.
Norman Powell: The Overpay All-Star
Powell is hitting the market at the absolute peak of his
financial powers. Fresh off an All-Star nod in Miami, insiders peg Powell’s
market value at a three-year, $65M range (~$21M–$22M annually).
You are writing a massive check for past production. Paying $22M a year to a 33-year-old guard who relies heavily on his athletic straight-line burst is a significant gamble. While his 21.7 points and elite efficiency from last season are undisputed, you risk paying a heavy premium for a player bound to hit an age wall right as Wilson, Swain, and Buzelis are hitting their stride.
Round
5 Winner: Anfernee Simons
From a pure financial flexibility perspective, paying less annually for a 27-year-old creator beats overpaying for a 33-year-old play-finisher’s twilight years.
The Final Decision
If Bryson Graham wants to maximize the offensive ceiling,
create a highly functional half-court environment for Giddey, and give the
frontline of Smith, Claxton, and Wilson room to breathe, re-signing Anfernee
Simons is the mathematically and financially superior choice.
If the goal is to build a rugged, lockdown defensive
identity around the core immediately, shielding Giddey and Swain on the
perimeter while letting the length of Buzelis and Wilson anchor the weak side, Norman
Powell is your guy.
Should Graham keep the 27-year-old Simons to balance out the young core's offense, or should the Bulls cough up the big bucks for Powell's defensive grit and veteran stability?Jun 30, 2026 BullsRoundtable The Chicago Bulls front office is officially cooking. By pulling off that three-team to absorb Nic Claxton and his descending $23.1 million contract from the Nets, the Bulls locked down a legit rim-protector. Then they went to work on draft night, double-downing on high-ceiling, athletic length by snagging UNC powerhouse Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Texas wing Dailyn Swain at No. 15.
Even after taking on Claxton, the Bulls are sitting pretty with roughly $33 million in functional cap space.
But clearing out the books and stacking assets is only half the battle. Now comes the hard part: keeping this insanely talented, hyper-athletic young nucleus on the right track. Between Wilson, Swain, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Jalen Smith, the talent is screaming. To make sure it doesn't devolve into a chaotic lottery loop, Chicago needs to execute the ultimate "Chris Paul / JJ Redick Overpay" playbook. They need to weaponize that $33M on massive, short-term deals for elite, culture-setting free agents like Mike Conley and Harrison Barnes
Here is how bringing the league's best "adults into the room" transforms the Bulls into an absolute problem.
Mike Conley: The Cool-as-a-Cucumber Floor General
Let’s be real: Mike Conley’s reputation as an elite developmental mentor isn’t just media fluff. It’s heavily documented through pure locker-room testimony. When Conley shows up to a team, he brings instant structural guardrails.
Just look at what he did for Anthony Edwards in Minnesota. "Ant-Man" became a superstar on a rocket ship, and he routinely gives Conley his flowers. Here is Edwards talking about his point guard:
"Bite Bite is old as f**, and he was getting downhill, laying the ball up, so shout out to Bite Bite... That's my PG, that's my OG, he played great tonight and I couldn't ask nothin' more. Thank you, Mike Conley."
Edwards even went out of his way to remind the casuals about Conley's hoop pedigree:
"Mike Conley was an All-Star in the NBA. I think people forget about that... I always tell him that, like, 'Mike, you used to be one of my favorite players."
On a roster where a raw, newly drafted guard/wing like Dailyn Swain needs to learn the baseline mechanics of running an NBA offense, Conley is a cheat code. He teaches young players how to slow the game down, read second-layer defensive coverages, and clamp down in the clutch. Most importantly, he caps the emotional volatility that kills young teams. After a regular-season game where his younger teammates lost their heads with the refs, Conley dropped a masterclass in veteran leadership:
"It's an emotional game, and we got a young team with emotions. Everybody wants to win... and they just can't all be me. They can't all have zero techs and be cool as a cucumber when it comes to all that... I should have just been here earlier."
For a young Bulls squad that’s going to ride some serious emotional waves, Conley is the ultimate stabilizing anchor.
Harrison Barnes: The Ultimate Operational Blueprint
While Conley organizes the perimeter, Harrison Barnes provides a seamless plug-and-play blueprint for Chicago’s deep forward rotation. Barnes is a consummate pro—low-usage, highly disciplined, and dead-eye efficient. He doesn't need to dominate the ball, making him a perfect spacing valve for a jumbo, pass-first creator like Josh Giddey.
Barnes’ history of stabilizing rising talent is undeniable. When he was steadying a young San Antonio team, star wing Devin Vassell broke down exactly how Barnes holds down a locker room:
"Shout out to HB... It's been great for us so far and just his wisdom and his knowledge being in so many different games, Game 7s, championship games, whatever the case may be. He's been able to just kind of calm us down and just tell us kind of what to expect."
Even top-tier rookies lean on him instantly. Spurs rookie Dylan Harper explicitly pointed to Barnes as his target model, saying he just wanted to "learn every day from the vets and the guys around me, like De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes... trying to understand the game better."
What makes Barnes the absolute dream mentor for Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain is that his philosophy is rooted in his own rookie experience. When Barnes came into the league as a 20-year-old kid with the Golden State Warriors, he was adopted by a legendary group of vets: Andre Iguodala, Richard Jefferson, and Jermaine O'Neal.
Barnes openly credits those guys with teaching him how to survive and thrive as a pro:
"The veterans really treated us—Richard Jefferson, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Jermaine O'Neal… all those guys. They get around you and bring you in and help you with decisions, you know what I mean? I'm 20 years old and they're talking about things like investments and family; I had no idea what they were talking about. That helped my development just understanding different sides of things... having those conversations really helped me."
Now, Barnes views it as his personal mission to pay that exact legacy forward. He doesn't lecture; he sets a daily standard of accountability and challenges young guys to lock in. As Barnes famously challenged his younger locker rooms:
"The biggest thing for a team that wants to make a jump is the commitment level... Upping your game when nobody is watching is important. The players who are truly worth their contracts are the ones who continue to sharpen their skills to become better players. You don't want guys who stay the exact same every year."
Buy the Culture
With Nic Claxton officially anchoring the paint, the Bulls have their physical backbone. The next step is building the mental and cultural framework.
By dumping some of the remaining $33 million into short-term deals for Conley or Barnes, Chicago isn't just adding depth—they are buying a winning culture. They ensure that Giddey, Buzelis, and Wilson learn how to win from guys who have done it at the highest level, laying down the tracks for the next great era of See Red basketball.Jun 26, 2026 BullsRoundtable NBA draft season will make you lose your mind. On Day 1, new Chicago Bulls Executive VP Bryson Graham was a certified genius. He stuck perfectly to his “SLAP” identity (Size, Length, Athleticism, Physicality), walking away with North Carolina's dynamic Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Texas wing Dailyn Swain at No. 15. The United Center faithful were ecstatic
Then came Day 2. Graham traded/sold off the team’s second-round picks, and some of the fan base instantly revolted, declaring the draft a failure, the Bulls will Bull and/or the Reinsdorf's wanted to cash in.
It is classic sports psychology in action—specifically, the Endowment Effect combined with Loss Aversion. Psychologists have long proven that humans overvalue assets they already "own" and process a loss twice as intensely as a potential gain. The moment those second-round draft slots belonged to Chicago, fans built idealized fantasies around them. For some fans trading those picks felt like a personal robbery, triggering a massive wave of cognitive dissonance. To ease that mental discomfort, fans instantly focused on a worst-case narrative, turning on the new front office in less than 24 hours.
But let’s look at the actual reality of the roster. It is completely impracticable to bring in more rookies right now.
Consider this:
- Caleb Wilson (No. 4 overall) requires major developmental minutes
- Dailyn Swain (No. 15 overall) is another high-upside project who needs floor time.
- Noa Essengue (2025 No. 12 pick) is essentially entering his redshirt rookie season after a shoulder injury completely wiped out his first year
Between Wilson, Swain, and Essengue, the Bulls already have three elite, high-upside, incredibly young prospects who need heavy playing time and developmental focus. Shoving two more raw second-round rookies into the Windy City pipeline would completely clog the ecosystem.
Graham doesn’t need more lottery tickets; he needs culture setters. The remaining roster spots and financial flexibility must be entirely dedicated to bringing in high-character veterans who can teach these kids how to be professionals, navigate defensive rotations, and develop efficiently.
Take a deep breath, Chicago. Day 1 established the blueprint. Day 2 cleared the runway so the flight could actually take off.Jun 25, 2026 BullsRoundtable The draft-night dust has settled, and the Chicago Bulls have a brand new identity. Under new head coach Tiago Splitter, Chicago went all-in on a terrifyingly long, hyper-athletic defensive spine. By anchoring the paint with newly acquired rim-protector Nic Claxton, drafting 6-foot-10 two-way nightmare Caleb Wilson at number 4, and explosive 6-foot-8 wing Dailyn Swain at 15, the Bulls have built a potential wall on the lakefront. Good luck to any guard brave enough to test this frontline at the rim.
But when the stadium lights go down and the game slows to a half-court crawl, this defensive masterpiece threatens to become an offensive disaster.
The problem is geometry. Claxton lives at the rim, Wilson’s perimeter shot remains highly volatile after hitting just 26% from 3 at North Carolina, and Swain does his best damage attacking downhill inside the arc. Add jumbo playmaker Josh Giddey to the mix, and the Bulls suddenly have four core players who desperately need the exact same patch of real estate in the paint to survive. Without any perimeter gravity to pull defenders away from the hoop, opposing teams will simply pack the paint, daring this young core to beat them from the outside.
Unclogging this gridlock isn't as simple as checking the remaining draft board or hunting the veteran market, because elite shooting is the ultimate premium asset in today's NBA. The remaining 2nd-round draft options offer no safety net; Duke’s Isaiah Evans has a beautiful stroke but major frame and physicality concerns, North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar can pick-and-pop but gets roasted defensively, and BYU's Richie Saunders has a slow mechanical release and a recovering torn ACL. Beyond the draft, high-caliber veteran snipers demand a king's ransom, while the upcoming 2027 draft class is entirely top-heavy with interior bigs and pass-first playmakers. Even target-hunting restricted free agent Payton Watson is a pipe dream—despite his beautiful 41.1% corner-three profile, Denver values his rotation depth far too much and would match any offer sheet the Bulls throw his way on the spot.
This massive spatial crisis is exactly why the frontcourt has become dangerously overcrowded—and why Matas Buzelis has suddenly become the ultimate bargaining chip.
Keeping Buzelis forces a disastrous developmental logjam at the forward spots. Instead, the Bulls must leverage this luxury and flip him to the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks for Tyler Herro. It is a flawless, win-win blockbuster based on pure roster synergy. Herro is the definitive tactical antidote for Chicago. At 26 years old, his lethal, high-volume 38% plus movement shooting behaves like an offensive tractor beam, pulling defenders all the way out to the logo and blowing open the driving lanes that Wilson and Swain need to hit their ceilings. For Milwaukee—currently resetting their entire universe after sending Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami—parting with Herro’s veteran scoring brings back Buzelis: a fluid weakside shot-blocker who fits seamlessly into a terrifying, long-term 5-out frontcourt alongside Nate Ament and Kel'el Ware without bottlenecking their young backcourt.
Under the strict constraints of modern NBA team building, the traditional "wait-and-see" approach is officially dead. Smart front offices can no longer sit back for 3 years to figure out who the alpha of the roster is while their best young assets suffocate on an imbalanced floor. Once you land your foundational cornerstones, you must immediately build the right ecosystem around them.
Management cannot afford to get sentimental over the prospects they draft or worry about moving fan favorites. The modern NBA is a cold, calculated math problem, and leaving an overlapping forward line to starve for spacing is a developmental death sentence. Consolidating Buzelis to weaponize the elite, gravity-shattering spacing of Tyler Herro is precisely how Bryson Graham puts Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the absolute best position to win from day one.Jun 24, 2026 BullsRoundtable Now that the draft lottery has jumped the Chicago Bulls up into the top four, the franchise is primed to land a tier-one cornerstone. Most current board projections show the first three picks locking in chalk, leaving North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson as the exact name the Bulls will likely call on draft night at No. 4. He would instantly provide Chicago with a dynamic, hyper-athletic two-way force but management must immediately adopt a mindset of extreme caution. Wilson is a magnificent prospect, but he is fundamentally different from his tier-one peers. While AJ Dybantsa projects seamlessly as a standard three-level scoring wing, Darryn Peterson as a textbook lead combo guard, and Cameron Boozer as a flawless, polished modern power forward, Wilson is a structural puzzle. He is the only player in the top four who demands an exacting, hyper specific roster framework to prevent his rawest flaws from eclipsing his immense ceiling.
Understanding why Wilson requires such careful handling begins with a direct look at his collegiate tape. At 6'10" with a 7'0" wingspan, his strengths are built on elite vertical athleticism and rapid defensive event creation. During his freshman season, he was an absolute titan around the rim, converting an astonishing 66 dunks and shooting 68.2% in the restricted area on his way to averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He is a terror in transition, running the floor with fluid strides, and he anchors defenses as a weakside disruptor who can slide laterally with perimeter threats. Yet, his weaknesses are glaringly obstructive to a standard halfcourt offense. Wilson shot a dismal 25.9% from three-point range. His perimeter handle is loose and high, and when trapped in halfcourt traffic, he has a volatile habit of playing too rushed, turning the ball over, or settling for inefficient mid-range turnaround fadeaways. Furthermore, his defensive stance is technically flawed; he plays far too upright, leaving him vulnerable to quick guards on the perimeter if he does not have a disciplined infrastructure behind him.
When you drop this polarizing profile into the current Chicago Bulls roster, the fit splits into black and white. On one hand, players like Jalen Smith and free agent Anfernee Simons represent glorified partners. Smith’s pick-and-pop capabilities pull opposing shot-blockers out of the lane, leaving the baseline wide open for Wilson’s explosive cuts, while Simons provides the deep perimeter gravity necessary to take the playmaking burden off Wilson's developmental handle. Conversely, a pairing with Josh Giddey creates a highly complex schematic challenge. Giddey is a brilliant, near triple-double-averaging jumbo playmaker who provides world-class vision, but his specific perimeter limitations clash with Wilson's needs. Because Giddey relies on instinctual drive-and-kick sequences rather than a shifty isolation handle or a dynamic step-back triple, defenses can sag beneath screens. Sharing the court would compress the lanes, trapping Wilson into the exact mid-range creation roles he struggles with. A frontcourt partnership with Matas Buzelis is equally clunky; though talented, both are lean, slashing, transition-based forwards who do not yet possess the bulk or the elite perimeter consistency to amplify one another.
To make a Wilson era work, the Bulls must look to the rest of the 2026 draft class to explicitly engineer a roster that masks his spacing limitations. In the mid-to-late first round, Cameron Carr of Baylor stands out as an exceptional target. Carr is a lethal, high-volume perimeter sniper who commands immense gravity, sprinting off screens and hitting deep triples. By placing a guard/wing weapon like Carr on the perimeter, the Bulls can comfortably park an elite spacer on the wing while preserving the low block for Wilson, all without having to compromise on a non-shooting developmental center.
However to truly unlock Wilson, the front office should map out an aggressive blueprint to acquire a complementary frontcourt partner with pick 15. Running a modern offense is all about manipulating geometry, which raises a fascinating question for the front office: Could pairing Wilson with Tennessee freshman Nate Ament be the exact schematic catalyst that catapults the Bulls back into Eastern Conference contention?
Standing at 6'10" with a smooth, high-release perimeter stroke, Ament is a unique lottery talent who averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds as an All-SEC freshman. His primary strengths center on elite free throw volume—setting a Volunteer freshman record with 196 makes—and an effortless ability to hit three-pointers off the catch or on face-up curls. He possesses an incredibly advanced offensive feel for a player his size, allowing him to operate as a jumbo perimeter creator and playmaker. However, Ament is not a finished product; his weaknesses are tied directly to physical functionality and efficiency. Weighing just 207 pounds, he lacks traditional interior explosion, converting only 51.4% at the rim, struggles operating in congestion, and registered a modest 33.3% from three due to erratic shot selection and lower-body strength deficits.
Despite those efficiency hurdles, Ament stands as the absolute perfect pick for Chicago at pick 15. The reasons why this pairing could ignite a rapid ascent into contention are tactically flawless. Because Ament operates entirely on the perimeter and commands genuine defensive gravity at the arc, he single-handedly cures the paint congestion that usually plagues a player of Wilson's shooting profile. With Ament stretching the floor, Wilson is gifted a totally vacant lane to attack. Furthermore, their overlapping flaws are perfectly neutralized; Ament’s lack of a physical, interior rim-protecting game is completely masked by Wilson's elite, high-twitch weakside shot-blocking engine. Defensively, they form an impenetrable wall of length, as Ament's 7'1" wingspan and perimeter lateral movement can funnel opposing ball-handlers directly into Wilson's waiting hands. If the Bulls land Wilson at four, pairing him with Ament later in the round is the absolute masterstroke required to build an elite, positionless ecosystem capable of shifting the balance of power in the EastJun 22, 2026 BullsRoundtable There are rare moments in sports journalism when a broadcaster transcends the microphone to become as foundational to a franchise as the championship banners hanging from the rafters. For those of us watching from thousands of miles away, across different time zones and oceans, the heartbreaking loss of Stacey King at just 59 years old hits with a unique, devastating weight. To the international fanbase, King was more than a commentator; he was a larger than life figure who personified exactly what we imagined it felt like to be a born and bred Chicagoan living and breathing every single possession. For decades, he anchored our global basketball experience, bridging the massive geographic divide with a profound, infectious love for the franchise. As Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf so perfectly captured in the wake of this tragedy, Stacey loved being a Bull, and you could feel it in everything he did—the way he played, the way he called games, and the way he connected with fans. It is that soul-baring devotion that leaves an agonizing, echoing silence in the United Center, felt just as acutely by fans watching on screens halfway across the world
What hurts the most is contemplating the sudden absence of the man who single handedly made a global audience feel like family. For those without geographic or cultural ties to Illinois, local American broadcasts can often feel distant, sterile, or over-manicured. Yet, King called games with a raw, unfiltered emotion and elite basketball IQ that instantly welcomed us into Chicago's living room. He was never afraid to unleash a frustrated shout when the Bulls missed a defensive rotation, yet he possessed a rare, beautiful generosity that allowed him to erupt with genuine ecstasy when an opposing superstar made a spectacular play. For international fans, he was the sole reason to tune in during the darkest, most exhausting stretches of the post-Derrick Rose era. When wins were scarce and the late-night or early-morning viewing schedules became deeply frustrating, King transformed unwatchable blowouts into must-see television. Through his quick wit, spontaneous pop culture references, and infectious joy, he didn't just teach us the game; he introduced us to the vibrant, resilient heart of Chicago culture.
The airwaves will feel incredibly empty without his unmatched catchphrase culture, which became a universal language for Bulls fans worldwide. King was a human generator of sports folklore, turning split-second reactions into permanent vocabulary that unified a global community. Whether you were watching from Melbourne, Paris, Tokyo, or Chicago itself, we were all soundtracked by his booming voice and signature catchphrases. When the game was in the balance, King didn't just report the moment for a local market—he gave it a global soul.
The Chicago Bulls are going to have a monumentally difficult time trying to replace him, because the qualities that made Stacey King great cannot be found on a resume or taught in a seminar. You can hire a former player who understands schematic coverages, and you can hire an entertainer who knows how to deliver a punchline, but you cannot manufacture the organic, lightning-fast improvisation that allowed King to birth iconic player nicknames and viral catchphrases entirely on the fly. More importantly, you cannot replicate the distinct vulnerability and humility that made outsiders feel completely included. Despite being a three-time NBA champion who operated at the absolute pinnacle of the sport, he never spoke down to his audience. Instead, he chose to sit right next to the everyday fan, treating every viewer, no matter how many thousands of miles away, like a lifelong friend sharing a couch. He possessed a unique gift for bringing people together, making a massive, international fanbase feel intimate, personal, and connected to a city we may never even visit. The broadcast booth will eventually be filled, but the infectious energy, the fearless candor, and the sheer magnitude of the warmth he poured into the global Bulls family belong to him alone. Stacey King was truly one of one, and the game will never sound quite the same without himJun 10, 2026 BullsRoundtable To be a Chicago Bulls fan is to suffer from a very specific brand of sports-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. We are a fanbase permanently ghosted by the greatness of the 1990s, stranded for over two decades in a barren wasteland of retooling, continuous mid-tier finishes, and trade deadlines that pass without a single meaningful roster move. In this climate of chronic frustration, the United Center stands less like a traditional sports arena and more like a high-tension containment zone. But the actual frontline of modern Bulls fandom isn’t found in the stadium upper deck; it has migrated entirely to the digital arena, where a civil war is currently raging between independent podcasters and the ordinary fans who tune in to escape their isolation.
This friction has exposed the darkest side of the shift from real-world sports communities to digital fan spaces. When you sit in a local sports bar or chat with the stranger in the next seat during a game, the conversation is inherently buffered by human empathy. If a fan vents a hot take or expresses raw, post-game despair over the direction of a multi-year rebuild, their physical presence communicates the context. The slight break in their voice, the self-deprecating chuckle, or the visible slump in their shoulders signals to everyone around them that they are simply processing grief over a team they love. The physical group absorbs that raw emotion, tamps down the panic with a shared joke, and provides a safe harbor of belonging.
The modern Bulls digital ecosystem completely strips away those vital visual cues and tones of vocal distress, replacing human connection with a hyper-reactive colosseum. Because independent sports podcasts and their adjacent streaming chats thrive on constant engagement, the space has become a performative battleground. Podcasters, driving daily content to feed the algorithms, frequently weaponize advanced analytics, strict cap-space projections, and definitive roster-building philosophies to draw hard boundaries around what constitutes an "intelligent" fan. When a vulnerable, frustrated fan logs into a live chat or leaves a passionate voicemail to vent their raw anxiety over the team's direction, they are no longer met with the empathetic nod of a fellow sufferer. Instead, they are frequently met with condescension and mass digital gatekeeping from hosts and aggressive online cliques who label them casuals who "don't know ball."
This dynamic transforms an ecosystem that promises deep community into an incredibly hostile and isolating vacuum. The text-driven nature of these digital interactions means that ordinary, raw emotion is completely flattened into black-and-white text, making a fan's standard post-game frustration read as an uneducated, combative attack that must be publicly dismantled. For an individual who is genuinely lonely and turning to their favorite team's digital community for comfort, this environment can feel profoundly cold and robotic. They are forced to navigate an unyielding gauntlet where they must either perform to the rigid analytical standards of the dominant internet tribe or face algorithmic dogpiling and total social rejection.
By prioritizing digital performance over real human commiseration, the modern sports media landscape has corrupted the primary mental health benefit of following a team: the simple, unconditional assurance that you are part of a larger family. True belonging cannot survive in a faceless environment where empathy is traded for clicks and disagreement is treated as a declaration of war. If we want to preserve the therapeutic sanctuary that sports fandom is meant to provide, we must look beyond the screen and remember that behind every desperate, unrefined sports take is a real human being just looking for a place to share the burden of the game.Jun 4, 2026 BullsRoundtable For decades, the relationship between the Chicago Bulls’
front office and its fanbase has been defined by a single, stinging word: "Cheap." From
the dismantling of the 1998 dynasty to a historic aversion to the luxury tax,
the Reinsdorf family has often been viewed more as accountants than
championship-seekers.
However, the introductory press conference for Bryson
Graham on May 6, 2026, felt fundamentally different. While skepticism is a
birthright for Chicago sports fans, there are compelling reasons why this
moment—and the family behind it—might finally deserve the benefit of the doubt.
The
"Open Checkbook" for Player Comfort
The "cheap" narrative often obscures the fact that
when it comes to player lifestyle and infrastructure, the Reinsdorfs have
historically outspent the league. Long before "player empowerment"
was a buzzword, the Bulls were setting the gold standard for how to treat a
roster.
In the 1990s at a time when many teams were still
navigating commercial airports, Jerry Reinsdorf transitioned the Bulls to
high-end private charter flights. This wasn't just about luxury; it was a
strategic investment to reduce the physical toll of 82 games, ensuring stars
like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen arrived in peak condition.
In an era when players were ordering their post-game pizza, the Reinsdorfs invested in
world-class, private team dining. They curated high-end culinary
experiences that allowed players to recover and bond in secure, private
environments, shielding them from the relentless Chicago media spotlight.
The Reinsdorfs are among the few owners to have fully
funded two state-of-the-art training facilities. First, the Berto Center
in Deerfield was a mid-90s marvel. More recently, they invested heavily in
the Advocate Center—a $25 million facility directly across from the United
Center—to centralize team operations and give players 24/7 access to the best
sports science and recovery tools in the world.
The
Power of a Public Apology
In professional sports, owners rarely admit fault. Michael
Reinsdorf broke that mold by opening the Graham era with a direct apology.
"I need to say I'm sorry because the results just
haven't been there... it flows up to me and I take responsibility."
By taking ownership of the mediocrity that has plagued the
United Center, Reinsdorf removed the shield often held up by the front office.
This level of accountability suggests an internal shift from defensive
posturing to genuine self-reflection.
Behind the Scenes Generosity
The family's deep "behind-the-scenes" generosity
is perhaps the league's best-kept secret.
Behind the scenes, Jerry Reinsdorf is legendary for quietly
paying medical bills and providing financial lifelines to former players who
have fallen on hard times.
Furthermore the Reinsdorf family have contributed tens of
millions in donations to Chicago-based charities and the construction of
the James Jordan Boys & Girls Club. The family has shown they are
willing to spend—provided the money goes toward people, not just
"assets."
Empowering Bryson Graham
Michael Reinsdorf didn’t just hire Bryson Graham; he
publicly handed him the keys. In a viral moment from the press conference,
Reinsdorf clarified that Graham has total autonomy over the coaching search and
staff hires.
More importantly, Reinsdorf addressed the luxury tax
head-on. He committed to an "open checkbook" for Graham’s
rebuilding efforts, stating he is "totally OK" with paying the tax
for a contender—he simply refuses to pay it for a play-in team. With $60
million in projected cap space and multiple 2026 draft picks, the financial
"handcuffs" appear to be off.
Chicago fans are right to be wary. However, Michael
Reinsdorf’s recent candour, combined with the hiring of a modern executive like
Bryson Graham, suggests that the "business as usual" era is over. If
Michael is true to his word—if he allows Graham to use that "open
checkbook" to build a modern powerhouse—then 2026 won't just be remembered
for a press conference. It will be remembered as the year the Bulls finally
acted like the big-market juggernaut they are.May 12, 2026 BullsRoundtable With the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery approaching, the Chicago Bulls find themselves in a pivotal position. Armed with two high-value first-round picks—their own, currently slated for the No. 9 spot, and an additional selection from the Portland Trail Blazers, at No. 15, the Bulls have a rare opportunity to accelerate their organizational reset.
However, as the front office prepares to utilize these assets, a clear analytical directive is emerging: The Bulls should avoid using these lottery selections on centers, including the class’s most intriguing big man, Aday Mara.
The modern NBA analytics suggest that drafting for "need" rather than "upside" is a recipe for stagnation. For a team needing a complete talent infusion, selecting a traditional center who requires years of development to become a defensive anchor is an inefficient use of resources when compared to the high-upside wing and guard talent available in this deep class
The "Aday Mara / Center Paradox" in the Lottery
As seen across the league from 2020 to 2025, lottery-picked centers are the draft’s ultimate volatility trap.
- NBA schemes have become increasingly switch-heavy. Centers who lack elite perimeter mobility are frequently targeted and played off the floor in playoff settings, rendering their "lottery pick" status a sunk cost.
- Unless the Bulls are absolutely certain a prospect possesses transformational skills—and the physical tools to survive in space—they risk drafting a player who will contribute minimal positive value to their net rating in the coming years.
In regards to Mara at 7-foot-3, he offers a rare blend of rim protection and high-post playmaking—a profile that has led some analysts to compare his potential impact to an offensive facilitator like Nikola Jokić or a connector like Isaiah Hartenstein.
While Mara’s ability to see the floor and execute creative passes makes him the closest thing to a "playmaking hub" in the 2026 class, selecting him in the top 16 represents a significant analytical risk for Chicago. Despite his playmaking flashes, Mara faces substantial hurdles: significant conditioning concerns, below-average perimeter mobility, and a lack of consistent outside shooting. In a modern NBA that increasingly prioritizes switchability and speed, drafting a 7-foot-3 center who may be limited to drop-coverage defense is a bet against the current league trajectory.
The Superior Case for Wings and Guards
In contrast to the high-variance nature of big men, lottery-selected wings and high-upside guards consistently demonstrate higher immediate impact-metric stability.
- Modern wings provide "gravity"—the ability to pull defenders away from the paint—and the defensive versatility to guard across multiple positions. For a rebuilding Bulls team, adding high-upside perimeter players provides a stable "floor" for the rebuild.
- With the need for dynamic playmaking partners for Josh Giddey, the Bulls have a glaring requirement for backcourt scoring. Investing these picks in dynamic, high-upside guards offers a much higher potential return on investment than drafting a project center who might struggle with NBA pace.
History shows that championship teams are rarely built by anchoring their payroll and draft capital to a traditional, non-mobile center. Instead, elite teams are anchored by superstar wings who can defend at a high level and initiate offense.
For a Bulls team that needs high-level, immediate contributions, Mara projects more as a situational rotation piece than a foundational superstar.
In a draft class as deep as 2026, reaching for a traditional big man—even one with intriguing playmaking upside would be a mistake. To build a future-proof foundation, the Bulls must look to the perimeter.May 6, 2026 BullsRoundtable The career of Josh Giddey has always been a study in statistical contradictions. Now in the 2025-26 season with the Chicago Bulls, those contradictions have reached a fever pitch. On one hand, he is producing raw numbers that rival Hall of Fame floor generals; on the other, advanced scouting metrics and tape suggest a player whose best long-term fit may actually be on the wing.
While the "Point Guard" label is often applied by default, a deeper look suggests that Giddey might be the league's most overqualified off-ball connector.
The Case for the Point Guard:
The Statistical Engine
To argue that Giddey isn't a point guard feels, at first glance, like arguing against math. His 2025-26 campaign has been a masterclass in traditional playmaking volume:
- Giddey is currently averaging 9.0 assists per game, placing him firmly in the top five league-wide. In March alone, that number spiked to a staggering 12.2 APG, including a career-high 19-assist performance against Cleveland. You simply do not command that much of a team's offensive geometry without being the primary initiator.
- Advanced platforms like 3StepsBasket rank Giddey in the 99th percentile for ball handling. This metric reflects his ability to maintain a live dribble under pressure and navigate high-volume possession loads without losing his composure.
The Reality Check:
Why He's More "Wing" Than "Point"
Despite the gaudy assist totals, many advanced scouting systems—including CraftedNBA—now officially classify Giddey as a Secondary/Movement Ball Handler rather than a Lead Initiator. This shift isn't about height; it’s about how he creates (or fails to create) advantages.
- The hallmark of a modern elite point guard is the ability to break down a set defense from a dead stop. Whether it's Ja Morant's burst or Luka Dončić’s manipulation, great PGs create "something from nothing." Giddey, conversely, struggles in isolation. He lacks the elite first step and explosive speed required to blow by primary defenders. Without that threat, defenses can stay home on shooters, forcing Giddey to rely on difficult floaters or cross-court heaves.
- While Giddey's ball-handling percentile is high, scouts often distinguish between a "Functional" handle and an "Elite" one. Giddey’s handle is highly effective for protecting the ball and finding passing lanes (functional), but it lacks the shiftiness and "wiggle" to put defenders in a blender. He rarely "breaks ankles" or collapses the paint through pure handles, which is why he is often utilized as a Movement Ball Handler—attacking a defense that is already tilted rather than tilting it himself.
- Perhaps the strongest argument for the "Wing" label is the defensive end. In a league defined by lightning-quick guards like Tyrese Maxey or De'Aaron Fox, Giddey's lack of lateral agility makes it nearly impossible for him to defend the modern point guard position. He is far more effective as a "Mobile Forward" (his CraftedNBA defensive tag), where he can use his 6'8" frame to disrupt passing lanes and help on the glass, rather than chasing elite ball-handlers around screens.
Josh Giddey is a basketball genius trapped in a wing’s body. While his 9.0 APG and 99th percentile handle prove he can play the point, his physical limitations and defensive profile suggest his ceiling is highest as a jumbo off-ball wing.
By playing "off the ball," Giddey can act as the ultimate connector—grabbing a rebound, pushing the pace, and making the "extra pass" that turns a good offense into an elite one.
He may be listed as a guard on the roster, but for the Bulls to win at the highest level, they must treat him like the elite, playmaking wing he truly is.Mar 28, 2026 BullsRoundtable 
