The 2025-26 season will be a chance for athletic forward Julian Phillips to carve out a consistent role in Billy Donovan's rotation. It is true that Phillips has more competition in the form of 12th overall pick Noa Essengue, along with the returning Kevin Huerter  and Dalen Terry. But all players bring a different skill set, although it is fair to say Phillips is most similar to Chicago's latest lottery pick. Essengue has the height and length advantage, but Phillips is a fluid athlete himself and has the obvious advantage of being coached by Donovan the past two seasons. 

Phillips has incredible leaping ability that shows up whenever he goes for blocks on defense or attacking the rim on offense. He isn't much of a 3-point shooter, being behind even Terry in that regard. Last season, Phillips shot 32.7% from 3-point range. The percentage is extremely disappointing but it is encouraging that he seemed unafraid to take them, getting up just under two attempts per game. 

As Phillips fills out his frame, it will become easier for him to absorb contact as he soars to the rim on drives. We will need to see Phillips average more than 2.4 free throw attempts per 36 minutes at his peak, but the fact that he maintained a 53.3% 3-point attempt rate showcases that he understands his role on a team that already has a few high-minute, (relatively) high-usage ball handlers. Phillips doesn't need to develop much of anything in the midrange game as long as he is a Bull, as spacing the floor and getting downhill on offense would be the ultimate outcome for a player who already showcases hustle and ability on defense. 

With Josh Giddey returning to the Bulls on a four-year, $100 million deal, and Coby White heading into a season ahead of a big unrestricted free agency, Phillips will have two guards who have shown that they will push the pace and throw the hit ahead pass to ignite Chicago's transition attack. 

The ability of Phillips to be a problem for lackadaisical opponents was shown in full during his best game of the season, a 23-point explosion against the Washington Wizards in April. In that game, Phillips started and converted 7-11 from the field, leading the Bulls in scoring. He shot 6-6 from the free throw line and knocked down 50% of his six attempts from 3-point range. No one is expecting Phillips to score 20+ points often, but a continued, focused, inside-out shot diet on offense would go a long way towards helping Phillips stand out in a surprisingly crowed wing room in Chicago.