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[Chicago Bulls]

NBA insider rips Chicago Bulls in latest power rankings

Now that free agency is nearly over, we have a good idea of what the Chicago Bulls will look like in 2025-26. Barring a shocking turn of events, Josh Giddey will re-sign eventually. That gives them largely the same team as last year, a roster that went 39-43 and lost as the nine seed in the play-in game. All it gets the Bulls is a lackluster place in the latest NBA Power Rankings and a scathing criticism from one NBA insider.

Chicago Bulls ripped by NBA Power Rankings​

Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) passes the ball to center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls, according to CBS Sports’ way-too-early power rankings, are the 22nd-best team in the NBA. They’re only ahead of teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and others. It’s not pretty.

“Another offseason, another round of befuddling decisions by the Bulls. They traded Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro, who struggled to get wing minutes on the Cavs due to his lack of shooting proficiency,” Collin Ward-Henninger wrote. “It looks like Josh Giddey will be back eventually, which means he’ll once again share backcourt duties with Coby White — oh yeah, and Nikola Vucevic is still on the team! Mediocrity appears to be the ceiling for this Bulls roster, and the floor is as low as any non-tanking team in the league.”

It’s a brutal indictment of the Bulls right now. They didn’t do much to actually get better in 2025-26, but they also didn’t make moves to set themselves up better for the future. Expiring contracts haven’t been traded, and the one trade they did make resulted in a worse player and no draft picks.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reacts during a timeout in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

When Giddey re-signs for at least $25 million a year, they will have another sizable contract on the books for a player who might not be able to lead them to a higher ceiling than the play-in game. It’s a tough time to be the Bulls, who are acting as if they don’t quite know what direction to go in. They have more decisions to make, but they seemed to ignore most of them this offseason.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/nba-i...s&utm_campaign=nba-insider-rips-chicago-bulls

 

[Chicago Bulls]

Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey negotiations get positive update

The Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey remain apart on a deal, but a new report says that they’re getting closer and having good conversations with one another. A deal remains likely given the lack of interest in the restricted free agent, and this update suggests it might be a little closer than before.

Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey have had good talks​

NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls Jan 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; v10 defends Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Initial reports suggested that Josh Giddey, who has so far had virtually no interest from any team besides the Bulls, wanted $30 million per year, something along the lines of the five-year, $150 million deal that Jalen Suggs signed with the Orlando Magic. The Bulls didn’t want to pay that, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have to.

That impasse drove the negotiations to a stall, but things are now trending in the right direction. Insider K.C. Johnson said, “Anyone speculating about the deterioration of the relationship should put that on pause. I’m told that Giddey had some very constructive conversations with Bulls personnel, including a sitdown with Coach Billy Donovan.”

Johnson was told the two sides are still talking, so there’s no reason to think the negotiations have completely ground to a halt as the two sides remain apart. “The Bulls are not going to be offering [him] $30 million a year. That remains their stance,” he added.

The insider said he thinks that Giddey might go for a shorter-term deal with a lower salary so that he can enter unrestricted free agency again in a few years, thus potentially getting a significant deal then when there are no limits on his availability.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) looks to pass the ball against Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

“He’s still a very young player; he’s going to have another big contract after this,” Johnson said. “The positive relationship remains. I’ve said many times the Bulls did not trade Alex Caruso for Giddey to let this relationship deteriorate. I fully expect a resolution to this, a positive resolution, sometime in the near future.”

Giddey is just 22, so even if he signs for the five years that was rumored, he would end up back in free agency (unrestricted this time) at age 27, which is far from out of his prime.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chica...um=rss&utm_campaign=chicago-bulls-josh-giddey

 

[Chicago Bulls]

Analyst: Chicago Bulls ‘definitely’ got worse this offseason

The Chicago Bulls have made only a handful of moves this offseason, and the final one is most likely going to be some lucrative extension for Josh Giddey. They remain largely the same team as last year, only with a couple of rookies and one different role player. They were, according to one analyst, one of five teams who “definitely” got worse over the course of the offseason.

Chicago Bulls backtracked, analyst says​

Jan 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls made the Play-In Tournament before crashing out and back into the lottery. After an offseason of moves or likely moves, they haven’t gotten better. In fact, according to Bleacher Report’s Mo Dakhil, they are one of five teams that regressed.

The Sacramento Kings, nicknamed the Bulls West, were another team mentioned in this list alongside the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, and Phoenix Suns. “There has been no team lost in the wilderness like the Chicago Bulls,” Dakhil said.

“This offseason has not been a very different experience for them,” he added. “They have not made the playoffs outright since the 2021-22 season; and since then, they have been play-in tournament regulars.” That was the case in 2024.

He labeled Matas Buzelis an intriguing prospect, and he said that Coby White is a good player, but White is in a contract year, and Josh Giddey remains a restricted free agent. “The Bulls will likely work something out with Giddey that will be favorable for the team,” he noted.

This is where things get more perplexing for Chicago. They traded Lonzo Ball, which isn’t a surprise. They sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, failing to get any draft capital in return despite the advantage being Cleveland’s here. Okoro’s contract situation is worse, and Ball might also be the better player.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) gestures after making a three point basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

“Okoro is very similar to Patrick Williams, just with a slightly better three-point shot. The comparison of their per 36 on BasketballReference.com shows just how similar they are,” Dakhil added. “The problem is the Bulls have committed $54 million to Williams over the next three years as a player option for another $18 million. If you invest that much into Williams, the team should be committed to getting as much as they can out of him. That won’t happen with him losing minutes to Okoro.”

Whether or not the Bulls should’ve gotten draft capital for Ball is another thing, but they essentially added another Patrick Williams, which isn’t really a good thing. “It doesn’t seem like the Bulls have a clear understanding of the type of team they want to be, and they’re content to wander in the wilderness,” Dakhil concluded.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chica...dium=rss&utm_campaign=chicago-bulls-got-worse

 

[Chicago Bulls]

Chicago Bulls rookie Noa Essengue’s Summer League earns praise

Noa Essengue was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as the second-youngest player in the draft. He looked like a work in progress, but steadily, he has improved greatly with every passing Summer League game. He’s still got his flaws, but he has developed plenty of strengths as well. It has warranted some praise from a Bulls insider.

Chicago Bulls insider praises Noa Essengue’s growth​

Noa Essengue stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 12th pick by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Noa Essengue was the talk of Summer League, but only because the Chicago Bulls rookie got dunked on by Johnny Furphy. It was a highlight-reel play at Essengue’s expense, and he was the laughingstock of the league momentarily.

But lost in all of that is a steady growth. Essengue looked rough in his first game and admitted he needed to get better at everything. So he did. He recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. He then scored 21 points on 50% from the field.

“To be sure, Essengue’s offensive game remains a complete wild card. But he has shown an increasing understanding of how he can use his length to make plays. He can get a clean look over the top of most defenders, and he sure does not need to take many steps to find his way into the paint,” Bleacher Nation insider Elias Schuster said.

Plus, Schuster noted, Essengue is young enough that all he really needs to display is a lack of timidness. If he’s not afraid to shoot, attack, or defend, then that’s a good sign. Through it all, that is exactly what Essengue has displayed for the Bulls.

NBA: Draft Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Noa Essengue stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 12th pick by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“Entering the league with major question marks around his jumper, he did not hesitate to chuck up eight attempts from downtown on Monday night,” Schuster added. “As off-target as some of those were, he still drained three and flashed a workable jumper. Heck, even the embarrassing photo of him getting posterized by Johnny Furphy or the brainfart of him knocking a ball off the rim for a goaltend (you can only do that in Europe!) says a lot about his overall mindset. The guy will try to make a big play on both ends.”

Right now, all the Bulls can ask is that Essengue work hard and give effort to both playing and getting better, and so far he’s done that with aplomb.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chica...tm_campaign=chicago-bulls-noa-essengue-praise