The Big Question: Did the Bulls Actually Get Better This…

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 3

The Bulls spent this offseason adding to a team that finished 31-51 and ranked 22nd in defense, swapping Rob Dillingham for Buddy Hield, drafting Caleb Wilson fourth overall and bringing in Nic Claxton and Norman Powell. Whether any of that moves Chicago out of the bottom of the East is the question hanging over Tiago Splitter's first training camp.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

The vets Chicago added. Nic Claxton and Norman Powell both arrive with real production: Claxton averaged 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season, Powell scored 21.7 a night. Neither fixes a defense that finished 22nd in the league by itself, but both are better two-way players than anyone Chicago lost at the deadline.

The Hield trade. Buddy Hield, 33, arrived from Charlotte in exchange for Rob Dillingham, who is now a Hornet. It swaps a young scoring guard for an older one on a $9.66 million deal, which raises the obvious question: does this roster need more shooting, or more of the defense and size Claxton is supposed to bring?

Camp still unsettled. Houston Mallette joined and left within three days. Peter Suder and Marquel Sutton are both gone; Jalen Bridges and Isaiah Stevens are both in. A roster this unsettled in early October is not evidence of a plan, just evidence of a team filling out camp bodies.

The real investment. Dailyn Swain went 15th, with Caleb Wilson taken fourth overall. Chicago still owns every one of its first-round picks through 2030, and that is worth more than any single veteran addition this summer, no matter how many wins Claxton or Powell might add once games start counting.

What the cap says. Chicago carries $164.3 million in payroll, comfortably under the $200.4 million luxury tax line, with Giddey ($25.0M), Claxton ($23.1M), Powell ($21.5M) and Williams ($18.0M) as the four biggest deals. That gap is intentional: this front office kept room to keep adjusting instead of locking in a finished roster.

Splitter's actual job. Tiago Splitter did not inherit a team that just missed the playoffs. He inherited one that finished 25th in offense, 22nd in defense, and 31-51, the fourth straight season without a postseason game. Adding veterans around Giddey, Buzelis and Okoro raises the floor; it does not by itself raise the ceiling.

Where this lands. The Bulls are better on paper than the team Billy Donovan left behind: more size, more shooting, a lottery pick added to the pipeline. Better on paper is not the same as better in the standings, and nothing in training camp proves which one Chicago becomes until games actually count.

On deck Preseason opens October 7 against the Suns, with games against the Grizzlies on October 9 (NBA TV), at the Nuggets on October 11 (ESPN) and at the Bucks on October 14, before the regular season opener October 21 at Toronto.

Are the Bulls better this season than last season?

They added Nic Claxton, Norman Powell and Buddy Hield to a team that went 31-51 last season, but the 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no record yet to prove it.

When do the Bulls play their first game?

Chicago opens the preseason October 7 at home against the Suns and opens the regular season October 21 at the Raptors.