The Bulls had a rough season this winter. Was it worth it for long-term gain?
There are two ways to look at the Chicago Bulls' 2025-26 season.
On one hand, the team recorded its worst year of the Billy Donovan era. Chicago's 31-51 record ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference and resulted in the Bulls missing at least the Play-In Tournament for the first time since 2020-21. After beginning the season 23-22 through mid-January, the Bulls lost 29 of their final 37 games.
However, the season also marked a pivotal turning point. The franchise appears set to enter a much-needed rebuild this offseason, following the firings of vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Chicago also traded long-tenured contributors Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu in favor of youth and draft picks.
The mixed bag of results is a big reason why ESPN's Tim Bontemps gave the Bulls a "D" grade for the season as a whole. They were one of nine NBA teams to earn a D+ or worse, joining the Warriors, Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Magic, Bucks, Pelicans and Kings.
"Bulls fans might argue this season actually exceeded expectations, given the team finally chose a direction and is now searching to replace Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley as the leaders of basketball operations," Bontemps wrote. "But the Bulls, who didn't enter 2025-26 with visions of the East's 12-seed, also failed to meaningfully move up in the draft lottery standings after the play-in tournament became out of reach."
Apr 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls forward Leonard Miller (11) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesChicago has the ninth-best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, giving the team a 4.5% chance at the No. 1 overall selection and a 20.3% chance at a top-four pick. The Bulls were likely never going to catch the five "true tankers" in Washington, Indiana, Brooklyn, Utah and Sacramento. But as Bontemps mentions, Chicago was unable to catch up to teams like Memphis, New Orleans and Dallas after blowing up its roster at the trade deadline.
For a draft that projects to have three franchise-altering talents at the top and several other playmakers in the top 10, every percentage point matters. Chicago's front office made the correct decision to sell most of its assets, but it was largely too little, too late.
The Bulls will now look to rebuild around 21-year-old forward Matas Buzelis and 23-year-old guard Josh Giddey. Young talents Leonard Miller (22) and Rob Dillingham (21) have shown flashes as well, while rookie Noa Essengue (19) played just six minutes before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
This summer, the Bulls will be able to add two top-15 draft picks to the fold as well.