Splitter Completes His Staff, Taj Gibson Joins as Assistant

Staff Is Set. The Bulls announced Tiago Splitter's finalized coaching staff for 2026-27 on September 15. It came a day after Taj Gibson retired as a player and joined the staff as an assistant coach, first reported by Hoops Rumors and ESPN.

Four On The List. Dailyn Swain (wrist), Zach Collins (toe), Josh Giddey (ankle) and Rob Dillingham (wrist) are all sidelined heading into camp, each carrying an estimated return date of October 1.

A Younger Roster. The 16-man roster now averages 23.9 years old, the result of a trade deadline that shipped out Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips, Dalen Terry, Kevin Huerter and Emanuel Miller across seven separate deals last season.

One Lineup That Worked. Before that sell-off, the five-man group of Vucevic, Huerter, Okoro, Giddey and Buzelis posted a plus-4.2 net rating over 65 minutes last season, the best mark of any Bulls lineup with real run. Only Okoro, Giddey and Buzelis remain from it.

Picks Are Clean. Chicago owns its own first-round picks in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. The only obligation on the board is a 2027 second-rounder owed to Oklahoma City, plus pick swaps attached to the 2028 and 2030 seconds.

The Real Question. Nothing about the cap sheet is forcing a move — Chicago sits at $161.5 million, under the cap and well below the $200.4 million tax line. What's unresolved is whether Giddey, Buzelis and Nic Claxton are the foundation of the next good Bulls team or trade chips down the line.