Bulls Notebook: A Lost Alum, One Open Roster Spot, Six Days…

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Friday, September 18

Preseason opens Oct. 7 against the Suns and the regular season starts Oct. 21 at Toronto, with four players still tagged day-to-day for an Oct. 1 return. Outside coverage this week ranged from ESPN's report on the death of former Bull Michael Sweetney to fan-site warnings about the roster's standing among the league's bottom tier.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

A Bulls Alum Gone. ESPN reported this week that Michael Sweetney, a Georgetown product who played for the Knicks and the Bulls, died at 43; Hoops Rumors carried the same report on Sept. 17.

Six Days To Decide. The estimated return date for Dailyn Swain, Zach Collins, Rob Dillingham and Josh Giddey is Oct. 1, six days before the preseason opener against the Suns. All four remain labeled day-to-day.

Fan Site Warnings. Pippen Ain't Easy argued this week that Chicago should fill its last open two-way slot before camp starts, and separately laid out three things the roster needs to do to avoid the NBA's new 'relegation zone' after a 31-51 finish last season.

Wilson's Summer. The same outlet reported that fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson worked out with LeBron James this offseason, though its own take was that the session means little without evidence on the floor.

Minutes Tell a Story. Over his last three games last season, Rob Dillingham logged 13 more minutes a night than his season average whenever a teammate sat out; Patrick Williams saw a similar jump, to 34 minutes in that stretch. Leonard Miller's workload climbed too, to 28.8 minutes over his last 10 games.

Best Lineups, Broken Up. Chicago's most efficient five-man unit last season paired Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis for a plus-4.2 net rating over 65 minutes. Vucevic and Huerter were both traded before the deadline, so that group will not run it back.

On deck Preseason begins Oct. 7 vs. the Suns, continues Oct. 9 vs. the Grizzlies, Oct. 11 at the Nuggets on ESPN and Oct. 14 at the Bucks, then the regular season opens Oct. 21 at the Raptors.

When do the Bulls play their first game of the 2026-27 season?

Chicago opens the regular season on the road against the Raptors on Oct. 21, 2026, after four preseason games starting Oct. 7 against the Suns.

Who is the Bulls' head coach this season?

Tiago Splitter, hired in June 2026 after Billy Donovan stepped down following a 31-51 finish last season.