Michael Walton

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Michael Walton II is a Chicago-based writer and editor with an extensive background in journalism, basketball scouting, and the sports wagering industry. Since 2016, he has mostly focused on written basketball content. His previous stops include Bulls.com, Action Network, and NBC Sports Chicago.

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Bulls vs. Suns Preview: How to Watch, Injury Report & Odds

Oct 7, 2026

BullsRoundtable

My Early Favorite 2027 NBA Draft Fit For The Bulls

Braylon Mullins is a player I have discussed in this space before. Mullins was Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2025. A former McDonald's All-American who eventually committed to the UConn Huskies, Mullins struggled a bit throughout an up-and-down freshman year. His season had some tough lows and incredibly high highs. Mullins averaged 12 PPG and shot an unimpressive 33.5% from 3-point range despite being a prospect regarded as an elite shooter. He did shoot 88.9% from the free throw line on a limited number of attempts, but more consistency from the 3-point line would've likely seen Mullins with higher stock heading into the 2026 NBA Draft. Speaking of those incredibly high highs, Mullins drained a deep 3-pointer with less than a second left against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight. UConn to the Final Four. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest shots in the history of the NCAA Tournament. More importantly as it pertains to the Bulls, that shot was a great example of the type of no fear, quick release-confidence that Mullins possesses when truly locked in. As mentioned earlier in this post, consistency will be the key for Mullins. But an even an inconsistent Mullins could have a place in Chicago's core as long as he continues to be a solid defender. Mullins stands at 6-foot-6, and despite an average wingspan, always competes on that end of the floor. Pairing Mullins as the long-term SG next to Josh Giddey (6-foot-8), Matas Buzelis (6-foot-8) and Caleb Wilson (6-foot-10) would give the Bulls a core of players who defensively can switch 1-through-4 and give effort, even if less so in Giddey's case. Mullins obviously fills a gap as another capable shooter--should he prove to be that this upcoming season--and scorer, who would not have to step into a huge role right away if the recently signed Norman Powell was still on the roster.Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

What I Look Forward To Most In Bulls Preseason Game No. 1

The Chicago Bulls first preseason game is October 7th against the Phoenix Suns. Obviously, there is a ton to be excited for in terms of our first look at the 2026-27 Bulls but my focus will be completely on Caleb Wilson's shot selection against not just any NBA defense, but a team that finished 9th in the league in Defensive Rating (112.9 points allowed per 100 possessions). Wilson is known as a devastating finisher, a player whose second jump often catches defenses off-guard when crashing the offensive glass. But despite a modest amount of 3-point attempts in an injury-riddled season, Wilson unleashed a barrage of 3-pointers at the Las Vegas Summer League. Over four Summer League games, Wilson hoisted up 7.8 3-point attempts per game, knocking them down at an elite 41.9% clip. It is obvious that Wilson doesn't need to average nearly 8.0 attempts per game from deep to be a top scoring threat. He averaged 19.8 PPG while attempting a mere 1.1 3-point attempts game in college (25.9% 3-PT). Similar to his first round draft mate Dailyn Swain, getting into the paint, finishing through contact and collecting free throw attempts is the foundation of their games. Assuming the Phoenix Suns play their healthy veterans, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Oso Ighodaro and even Khaman Maluach could provide interesting and varied challenges for the Bulls 4th overall pick. Observing how Wilson chooses to attack different match-ups will be the first thing I look for this preseason.Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

What Does Noa Essengue Need To Do To Make The Bulls' Rotation?

Wreak havoc. It sounds a bit much, but Noa Essengue genuinely needs to be a disruptive force on defense to get Tiago Splitter's attention come the start of NBA preseason (Oct. 7 for Chicago). It is possible that Essengue is already in the doghouse of his new coach, receiving up-and-down playing time over his stint in the NBA Summer League, averaging 6.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG while shooting 41.9% from the field and a concerning 54.5% on 11 total free throw attempts. While the shooting numbers are obviously ghastly, he did put up some impressive raw defensive numbers. He collected 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game despite only receiving 18.6 minutes per game. Splitter coached a chunk of the Bulls' Summer league schedule, and it was notable that Essengue started on two of the four games he played in Las Vegas. This signals that Splitter may have the same long-term development project view of Essengue that former Bulls HC Billy Donovan appeared to have. That being said, the eye test rarely fails and Essengue had too many flashes where he simply looked disinterested on the court. Assuming there is no health concerns we weren't aware of, Essengue should've been going 110% to prove to his new front office he is just as valuable as the last front office suspected he was. With elite measurements and enough G-League and Summer league tape to show that there is some real defensive potential, the ball is quite literally in Essengue's court when it comes to showing Splitter and the new staff that he can be a valuable addition to the Bulls collection of lanky, athletic wings.Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

What Does Dailyn Swain Need To Do To Bounce Back?

It's quite simple, to bounce back to the best version of Dailyn Swain, he needs to focus on what got him to the NBA in the first place: getting downhill. Of course, that is easier said than done when all eyes are on you in a new role in your first NBA Summer League action. The jitters of playing in a professional setting, a long with the big expectations lauded onto Swain and No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson clearly bothered Swain a bit during Summer league. So much of the game is basketball is mental. Starting to doubt yourself or your role is the quickest route to being stuck in NBA purgatory: good enough to hang around the league but not good enough to play a real rotational role on a team. That is, of course, not the worst outcome in the world, but not something I expect out of the Bulls No. 15 overall pick. Swain averaged a paltry 4.2 PPG over his four SL games, shooting an honestly, impressively abysmal 12.9% from the field and failing to knockdown any of his seven attempts from 3-point range. So much was made of Swain's unorthodox looking jumpshot, but we didn't see much of that....or anything during Swain's brief run. Swain has since discussed how much pressure he was putting on himself to perform. And while I think it is a bit overblown, the pressure of handling point guard duties did seem to bother him. Swain had an impressive handle at Texas, but looked shaky and unsure dribbling against mostly G-League level defenders. Preseason will be of tremendous importance for Swain, who needs some solid performances for his confidence more than anything. He simply needs to remember what made him such an interesting prospect in the first place, which was being fearless when attacking a defender one-on-one. The NBA preseason will provide even more floor-spacing than summer league, and that is despite the Bulls not being a necessarily strong shooting team. Even if Swain gets unlimited open 3-point looks in preseason, I think he needs to convert most of those into drives into the paint. It may be forcing the issue, but at this stage focusing on drawing contact and getting to the free throw line should be of more importance than working on a 3-point shot that will take a very long time to get where it needs to be.Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

The Main Difference Between Billy Donovan and Tiago Splitter Will Be.....

Flexibility. It is the thing Chicago Bulls fans wanted the most and--even as the President of the Billy Donovan Fan Club have to admit--got perhaps the least. The Bulls-Donovan relationship seemed like a bit of an odd one from the start. A coach who left the Oklahoma City Thunder because he didn't want to rebuild join a Bulls franchise that quickly pivoted into exactly that: a rebuild. To both Donovan's credit and perhaps his dismay, he never publicly complained about the Bulls franchise, and handled the job with class. As the relationship neared its end, it was clear even from the outside that everyone did not seem to 100% be on the same page. Donovan's non-committal demeanor when discussing Bulls 12th overall pick Noa Essengue signaled that they was a lack of belief on his end. Even if his perceived hunch turned out to be true, it was not a great sign for the synergy of the front office-head coach relationship. Donovan didn't give Essengue a chance at the NBA level, playing him a grand total of three minutes per game over two games. It is, of course, completely possible that Essengue simply wasn't ready for extended minutes physically, and Donovan chose to get a look at other players vs. something he felt like he had a good understanding of already in terms of Essengue's timeline. But the fact that the Bulls fanbase quickly knew Essengue would get no shot never felt great from the outside looking in. It's impossible to truly know what you have in a player unless you give them a chance, just like it is impossible to know if a certain strategy works if you rarely try it. To Donovan's credit again, he did take the DeMar DeRozan-led, midrange heavy Bulls and turn them into a more modern, pace-and-space offense with the help of Josh Giddey. But while year to year things could change, game to game felt a tad too predictable. Tiago Splitter, both because is simply a younger coach but also played in a different NBA than Billy Donovan did, has a higher probability of injecting some of the randomness I would like to see out of the 2026-27 Bulls. There should always be a game plan and a pecking order, but there is also no reason to be so rigid as to not switch things up when an intriguing opportunity for a data point arises.Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

What's Quincy Pondexter's Biggest Challenge With The Windy City Bulls?

Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Bulls' Matas Buzelis Says Caleb Wilson Already "Feels Like My Brother"

Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

2027 NBA Draft: Chicago Bulls Need Quantity Over Quality

2

Oct 1, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Caleb Wilson Called 'BEST Bulls prospect since Michael Jordan' By Sam Smith

2

Sep 30, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Can Bulls' Matas Buzelis Make An All-Defensive Team in 2027?

3

Sep 29, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Crafting The Chicago Bulls' Best Offensive Lineup

2

Sep 28, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Crafting The Chicago Bulls' Best Defensive Lineup

Sep 26, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Chicago Bulls Announce Rotation of Color Commentators For 2026-27

Sep 25, 2026

BullsRoundtable

The Case For Starting Tre Jones For the Chicago Bulls

Sep 24, 2026

BullsRoundtable

The Case For Caleb Wilson As The No. 1 Rookie In Fantasy Basketball

3

Sep 20, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Chicago Bulls Receive Poor Rating in Basketball Power Index

1

Sep 10, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Could a Chicago Bulls-Taj Gibson Reunion Be Beneficial For Both Sides?

1

Sep 8, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Central Division PF Rankings: Is Caleb Wilson a Top-3 PF in the Central?

1

Sep 8, 2026

BullsRoundtable

Central Division SF Rankings: Bulls' Buzelis Ready For Year 3 Leap

2

Sep 3, 2026

BullsRoundtable