The first round of the NBA Draft has come and gone, and Bryson Graham has added two talented young pieces to the Chicago Bulls’ rebuilding core in Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain. With those additions in place and Tiago Splitter taking over as head coach, the Bulls can now shift their focus toward the 2025-26 season and the process of building a new identity on the floor.

While free agency and potential offseason trades could still alter the roster, here is an early projection of how Chicago’s starting lineup could take shape heading into next season.

Josh Giddey finished the 2024-2025 season on somewhat of a low note. After a roaring hot start that had the Bulls atop the East early in the season, Giddey suffered nagging injuries to his ankles and hamstrings that limited his production as the year came to an end.  Despite the slow finish, Giddey averaged 17.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds, stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis in his second season with the Bulls. As one of the best passers in the NBA, Giddey looks to be an integral part of the development of Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain. The Australian point guard still has three years remaining on his contract, and at the young age of 23, he still has room to develop under Tiago Splitter and will retain his starting spot headed into year three with the team.

While maybe not the bold choice Bulls fans are hoping for after drafting Dailyn Swain, Isaac Okoro fills an essential defensive need for this team, just as he did last season. Billy Donovan often played Okoro heavy minutes and entrusted him to bring consistent defensive effort to a young team in need of a role model on that end of the floor. I expect much of the same from Okoro under Splitter. Okoro is now a veteran leader on this rebuilding Bulls team, and in Portland, Splitter often turned to veterans like Jrue Holiday and Matisse Thybulle to play heavy minutes alongside the younger players on his roster. While Swain develops, Okoro projects to be a reliable stopgap at the shooting guard position that Splitter can rely on to set the tone defensively. Expect Okoro to start for the early portion of the season.

With rookie Caleb Wilson now on the roster, the door is open for Matas Buzelis to slide into his natural position at small forward. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game in his sophomore campaign. Buzelis noticeably upped his three-point attempts last season and showed flashes of brilliance with the ball in his hands. Sliding him over to the three opens the door for more on ball usage and to use his size more to his advantage, going up against small forwards instead of bigger power forwards. Tiago Splitter thinks highly of Matas Buzelis' potential and will likely look to get him involved early and often. Buzelis should be in for a fast start, coming off a summer playing for the Lithuanian National Team, and is in line for a big leap in year three.

To nobody’s surprise, the Bulls selected Caleb Wilson out of North Carolina with the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Wilson enters the league with one of the highest ceilings in his class and possesses the mentality to handle the growing pains that come with a major role as a rookie. His defensive versatility, elite transition play and ability to finish above the rim make him a natural fit alongside Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, with the trio’s size and athleticism creating the potential for plenty of highlight moments. While expectations should remain realistic given his age and experience, it would not be surprising to see Wilson hear his name announced with the Bulls’ starting five on opening night at the United Center.

In a surprising move, Bryson Graham and the Bulls joined a three-team deal with the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire Nic Claxton for essentially nothing on the eve of the NBA Draft. Although he has not replicated the production from the best years of his career, Claxton still has the potential to become the Bulls’ most impactful defensive center in recent memory. With two years remaining on his contract, he projects as an ideal bridge option while Chicago searches for its long-term answer at the position. His ability as a rim runner gives Josh Giddey a reliable lob threat similar to the chemistry Giddey developed with Nick Richards last season, while his rim protection and backline communication should alleviate pressure on young defenders like Giddey, Buzelis and Wilson as they continue to grow. For a team prioritizing development, Claxton’s veteran presence and defensive skill set make him a logical choice to anchor Tiago Splitter’s starting lineup at center.