The Chicago Bulls are unlikely to have awards candidates outside of Caleb Wilson in the Rookie of the Year race, but we decided to take a look at the next best options.
The Chicago Bulls are unlikely to have any awards candidates outside of No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, a strong candidate to win Rookie of the Year. But as we survey the extremely unlikely longshot award candidates in Chicago, we found some intrigue. The players we list below are names that are probably not coming up during awards season. But owning a ticket for one of these Bulls players as they have a big season would no doubt be a fun experience.
Since these candidates are all longshots, we went from most unlikely to "least" unlikely. We did not count Caleb Wilson for Rookie of the Year, which we covered here. Here are the odds via DraftKIngs.
Nic Claxton - Defensive Player of the Year (+30000)
A big part of the reason Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham was able to get Nic Claxton for cheap was a recent decline in productivity. Claxton struggled with back issues last season, averaging 1.1 blocks and 6.9 rebounds over 69 games. The rebound and block figures represented the lowest for Claxton since 2022.
Claxton--even if he turned back into the prime version of himself snagging 2.5 BPG--is not winning DPOY in a league with Victor Wembanyama. But a once-effective player getting a fresh start is always intriguing.
Patrick Williams - Sixth Man of the Year (+20000)
We'll keep this one brief. The chances of Patrick Williams becoming a meaningful player off the bench for Chicago seem quite low at this stage of his career. He received a contract perceived as one of the worst in the league from the previous front office regime. Now, Williams will be trying to prove his worth on the court to Graham and Co., while competing with a crowded frontcourt on paper.
It doesn't look good for Williams' outlook long-term in Chicago. But if there was ever a perfect setup for Williams to overcome adversity and earn his keep, this season would be it.
The problem for [Patrick] Williams is the grand scheme of an awards race, is earning a rotational role over the likes of Leonard Miller, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith doesn't guarantee that he is putting up impressive numbers.
Tre Jones - Sixth Man of the Year (+20000)
Tre Jones is one of the better backup point guards in the league. The reason Jones is a longshot for Sixth Man of the Year is that the Bulls are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league.
Jones is an exceptional passer and decision-maker who posted a 3.80 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, good for 9th in the league.
The best-case scenario for a Jones ticket is that you get the baked in Bulls-Jones price, and he gets traded to a different team and continues to produce.
Matas Buzelis - Most Improved Player (+4000)
Buzelis will have a lot to prove this upcoming season. The third-year forward is entering a season in which the primary focus will be on a different young wing in Caleb Wilson.
Buzelis averaged a career-best 16.3 PPG last season while increasing his 3-point attempt rate to 51.4%. Overall, Buzelis himself didn't sound too thrilled about having midrange shots cut out of his shot diet on an episode of Lonzo Ball's podcast.
With Wilson drawing a ton of attention on offense, there is good chance of Buzelis raising his scoring average even with the possibility of less shot attempts.
Tiago Splitter - Coach of the Year (+3000)
The most likely candidate to win an award in Chicago outside of Wilson is the new head coach in Chicago, Tiago Splitter. He is coming off of a tumultuous start as the head man in Portland.
Splitter took over as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers following Chauncey Billups beings arrested and charged in October 2025 as part of a massive, FBI-led federal investigation into a mafia-backed illegal high-stakes poker and gambling scheme.
Splitter led Portland to a 42-39 record, on the back of an effective defense (14th in Defensive Rating per Basketball-Reference).
Under Splitter's tutelage, Deni Avdija had the best year of his career at 24.2 PPG and his first All-Star appearance. The chances of Splitter winning COY for an overachieving Bulls team are almost directly tied to Buzelis and Wilson performing at a high level. This is why Splitter and Buzelis have such similar odds for COY and ROY respectively.
If you believe the Bulls will be better than people expect, it only makes sense to back Splitter win COY.
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