The Week Ahead: Four Preseason Games Open the Splitter Era

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 3

The Bulls open preseason Oct. 7 against Phoenix, then host Memphis and travel to Denver and Milwaukee before the regular-season opener Oct. 21 at Toronto. Zach Collins' estimated return date lines up with game one, giving Tiago Splitter his first live look at a camp roster that is still being finalized.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Four Tune-Ups Before Toronto. Chicago's preseason runs four games: Suns at home Oct. 7, Grizzlies at home Oct. 9, Nuggets on the road Oct. 11, Bucks on the road Oct. 14. The regular-season opener follows Oct. 21 at Toronto. Splitter gets four live games to set rotations before that trip.

Collins' Toe Timeline. Collins carries a day-to-day tag for a right toe injury, with an estimated return of Oct. 7 — the same night the preseason schedule opens against Phoenix. If that holds, he gets every tune-up game to find a rhythm before the opener.

Hield's New Deal. Buddy Hield signed a one-year contract worth $9.66 million, formalizing the move that brought him in from Charlotte. Team payroll stands at $164.3 million, comfortably under the cap and well below the $200.4 million tax threshold, with room to spare heading into camp.

Stevens Joins the Backcourt Mix. Isaiah Stevens signed with the Bulls Oct. 2, the newest addition to a camp group that has shuffled bodies for weeks. He joins a backcourt that already features Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Norman Powell and Brandon Boston heading into the preseason opener.

Where to Watch. Two of the four preseason games carry national coverage: the Grizzlies game Oct. 9 is on NBA TV, and the Nuggets game Oct. 11 is on ESPN. The Suns opener Oct. 7 and the Bucks finale Oct. 14 are not listed with a network.

Splitter's First Live Look. Tiago Splitter coaches his first real game Oct. 7 against Phoenix. Four preseason contests are his only evaluation window before Toronto, with Collins' health and the reshuffled backcourt among the things he needs settled by Oct. 21.

On deck Preseason opens Oct. 7 against the Suns, followed by the Grizzlies on NBA TV Oct. 9, the Nuggets on ESPN Oct. 11 and the Bucks Oct. 14, ahead of the regular-season opener Oct. 21 at Toronto.

When do the Bulls play their first preseason game?

Oct. 7 at home against the Suns, the first of four preseason games before the Oct. 21 regular-season opener at Toronto.

Is Zach Collins expected back for the preseason opener?

His estimated return is Oct. 7, the same date as the Suns game, though the Bulls still list him as day-to-day with a right toe injury.