We take a look at the 2026-27 Bulls roster and predicts who will lead the club in scoring.
The Chicago Bulls will enter the 2026-27 season with a ton of hope, and a new-look starting lineup. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the starting lineup figures to contain Norman Powell, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Nic Claxton and No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson. This group--while not groundbreaking on paper--would provide Chicago with a solid amount of two-way ability. While the healthy assumption is that Wilson easily projects as the Bulls leading scorer, an actual breakdown shows things may not be so simple.
Next season the Bulls possessions on offense will likely start with Giddey, Wilson or Buzelis with the ball. Those same offensive possessions will likely end with Powell, Wilson or Buzelis taking a shot. The question of "who will be the Bulls leading scorer?" makes some default to thinking of who will be Chicago's top shot-taker. But while I believe Wilson will lead the Bulls in FGAs, I also believe that opposing NBA defenses will build their gameplans around slowing him down.
Any defensive attention drawn by Wilson only further provides space for Buzelis, Powell and Giddey to attack.
At North Carolina, Wilson averaged 12.3 FGAs per game and scored 19.8 PPG. Former Tar Heels and current Atlanta Hawks center Henri Veesaar averaged 17 PPG--2nd on the team behind Wilson--during his lone year playing with WIlson at UNC. Wilson's constant forays to the rim opened up the floor for Veesaar to take 3.0 attempts per game from 3-point range, knocking them down at an elite 42.6% clip.
In Chicago, Wilson's explosive drives primarily will be clearing the way for Powell and Buzelis, who will be ready to attack off the catch.
Last season, Powell averaged a team-leading 21.7 PPG for the Miami Heat. Buzelis averaged 16.3 PPG last season, but that figure increased to 19 PPG in post-All-Star break games, when the roster looked more like it will next season.
I fully expect Graham and Splitter to have the entire franchise focused on making life easier for Wilson and Buzelis. Norman Powell's shooting just happens to be a big part of that equation. Even if Powell isn't the Bulls leader in FGAs, I expect him to be the clear-cut leader in 3-pt FGAs.
Powell took 410 3-pointers last year (7.1 per game), knocking them down at a 38% clip. In Chicago, I expect that figure to climb even higher. Powell has no reason not to let loose at this stage of his career, and especially for a team that doesn't have grand aspirations at the moment. Powell had never taken more than six attempts per game from deep until the past two seasons, where he took 7.1 3-point attempts per game.
If Powell gets up to eight or so attempts per game from 3-point range and continues to average a healthy amount on FTAs--he averaged a career-best 5.5 FTAs per game last season--then there is no reason he can't crack 22 PPG.
Even if Wilson has as stellar of a rookie season as I expect, around 15-19 PPG is more reasonable for a first-year player. If Wilson is hovering near 20 PPG, that means Buzelis is likely settling somewhere below that mark, and especially if he plans to take more midrange shots in lieu of 3-point attempts. It may be a bit of an upset on paper, but I believe Powell will take the crown as the Bulls leading scorer for the 2026-27 NBA season.
