Cap Watch: Bulls Sit Comfortably Below the Tax Line

The Bottom Line. Chicago carries $161.5 million in salary across 14 contracts, south of the $165.0 million cap and well clear of the $200.4 million luxury tax line. There is no tax bill coming this season, and the front office has room to work with if it wants to add.

Five Biggest Deals. Josh Giddey tops the payroll at $25.0 million, followed by Nic Claxton at $23.1 million, Norman Powell at $21.5 million, Patrick Williams at $18.0 million and Isaac Okoro at $11.8 million. Those five account for the bulk of the number.

Team Options Ahead. Norman Powell's deal carries a $22.6 million team option for 2027-28, and Tre Jones has an $8.0 million team option that same year. Both give the front office a call to make down the road, not an obligation right now.

Two Aprons Away. The first apron sits at $209.0 million, the second at $221.7 million. Chicago's $161.5 million payroll leaves real distance to both lines, restrictions that only bite once a roster climbs into that territory, which is not a concern here yet.

Draft Capital. The Bulls own their first-round picks outright in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. They owe Oklahoma City a 2027 second-round pick and carry second-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, a clean ledger for a team still finding its shape.

What's Still On. Caleb Wilson at $10.7 million, Jalen Smith at $9.4 million, Zach Collins at $8.3 million and Tre Jones at $8.0 million round out the next tier of the 2026-27 sheet, with Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue and Dailyn Swain all still on rookie-scale money.

Room To Work. With camp spending still shaping the season, Chicago's spot below the cap and well shy of the tax gives Bryson Graham's front office space to react if the roster needs a midseason addition, without tax math weighing on the decision.