Chicago is entering a new era with a clean slate and possible new superstar. These questions will define the team's season.
The Chicago Bulls have not had a 50-win season since 2014-2015, when Tom Thibodeau stalked the sidelines and Luol Deng teamed with Derrick Rose, DJ Augustin, Carlos Boozer and a young Jimmy Butler among the team's top scorers.
The 2026-27 Bulls are a much younger team with far less experience than that group, headed toward what looks like a daunting yet invigorating task of challenging for a playoff spot under new head coach Tiago Splitter.
Gone is the old school, defense first approach of former coach Billy Donovan, replaced by a coach in Splitter who knows how to find a happy medium between European flair and Gregg Popovich inspired grit and discipline from his playing days with the San Antonio Spurs.
How the Bulls answer the myriad questions surrounding their franchise in year one will go a long way toward how their final record stacks up at the end of the 2027 season.
Here are the five biggest questions facing Splitter's team in year one.
Question 1: Will Buzelis Take 'The Leap'?
Bulls third-year forward Matas Buzelis has a Slam Dunk Contest under his belt and two strong seasons for a player who was selected 11th overall in 2024.
Buzelis is actively hunting new training partners and making the rounds on the podcast circuit in pursuit of a bigger profile and more dynamic skillset.
He has the talent to make the 2026-27 All-Star Team which would likely shift Chicago's place in the East from low-tier to playoff contender.
Question 2: Is Tiago Splitter the Right Coach?
New head coach Tiago Splitter turned in a solid first season with the Portland Trail Blazers on the heels of former Blazers coach Chauncey Billups' fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges.
Splitter led a patchwork yet talented Blazers team to a winning record under difficult circumstances, the sign of a flexible basketball mind.
The Bulls have a similar collection of talent to work with this season but it doesn't appear as seasoned as the Blazers' collection from last season.
Bulls fans likely won't know if Splitter was the right choice until a few seasons down the line, but he will give plenty of clues this season starting from the opening month.
A strong first month of the season will go a long way toward inspiring hope and confidence in the Bulls' new leader.
Question 3: Is Caleb Wilson a Franchise Player?
Caleb Wilson is looking like a consensus All-Rookie First Team Player after a compelling Summer League and a strong freshman year with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Bulls haven't had an All-NBA First Team player since Joakim Noah in 2013-2014.
Wilson has even more talent than Noah did on paper, now he must prove he has the work ethic and the fortitude to cash in his immense physical gifts.
The Bulls need a new franchise player in the worst way, and Wilson has the best chance to become one of anyone on the roster, even including Buzelis.
Question 4: Who Can Bulls Overtake in the Central Division?
The Bulls finished second-to-last in the NBA's Central Division last season and managed to do so in large part because of the Indiana Pacers missing star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
This season is expected to be another banner year for the division with Haliburton expected back among contenders including the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Milwaukee Bucks are likely to take a step or two backward with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami.
The Bulls have the talent to finish ahead of the Bucks, and must continue to study their opponents' weaknesses in an effort to move up the Central Division totem pole.
Question 5: Can Young Bulls Weather the NBA's Storms?
The Bulls have what looks to be a gritty young roster led by the ferocious rookie Wilson and the confident third-year man Buzelis.
Center Nic Claxton, point guard Josh Giddey and others give Chicago a talented base to build off of this season.
The Bulls have a dynamic young roster that hasn't gone through the storms of a full NBA season together yet.
How Splitter and his young players weather the inevitable ups-and-downs of an 82-game season could be the biggest and most important determining factor as to where Chicago ends up this season.
