Chicago Bulls Offseason Review and the front office have leaned into the “best player available” strategy in recent years, especially after three straight losing seasons and early Play-In exits. But here’s the catch: the Bulls already have a core of young players starting to take shape.
Josh Giddey looks like a keeper if re-signed (which most expect), and Matas Buzelis has shown flashes of serious potential. So while you don’t want to limit yourself too much by drafting strictly for fit, ignoring how new additions mesh with current talent could backfire.
Take Egor Demin, for example. The BYU guard has been climbing draft boards thanks to his size, court vision, and high basketball IQ. But he also shares a lot of similarities with Josh Giddey—including the need to handle the ball—and lacks a consistent outside shot. Is taking him really worth duplicating what you already have?
Then there’s Jase Richardson. A talented scorer out of Michigan State, he might be a better fit next to Giddey than with Coby White, who’s seen as more of a scoring guard himself. If Richardson is on the board, the Bulls might have to seriously consider moving on from White sooner rather than later.
In short: everything connects. The Bulls need upside, yes—but they also need to think about how each pick fits within their ongoing development plan.
Defensive Progress: Real or Just a Flash?
One silver lining from last season was the noticeable defensive improvement in the final stretch of the regular season. Before the February trade deadline, the Bulls ranked 26th in defensive rating and gave up the most points in the paint per game. Not great.
But over the final 30 games? They jumped to 14th in defense and improved to 20th in opponent points in the paint. Was that just noise? Maybe. But some of it came down to effort and buy-in from the team.
Zach Collins helped bring some physicality inside, though he’s not exactly a rim protector. What really changed was the collective intensity—especially from Josh Giddey, who used his size to disrupt opposing guards. Starting Matas Buzelis also helped shore up the wing defense and provide some rim protection.
So, will this carry over into next season? Probably not to elite levels, especially with the current backcourt configuration. But if the Bulls add someone like Collin Murray-Boyles or Carter Bryant in the draft, they could keep trending upward defensively.
Building Slowly, But Surely
The Bulls aren’t going to turn into contenders overnight. But between the growth of their young core and the potential impact of the upcoming draft, there are reasons to feel cautiously optimistic.
They’ll need to make smart decisions on June 25th—ones that balance raw talent with positional fit. And while they probably won’t become an above-average defensive team right away, the signs suggest they’re capable of being competitive on both ends of the floor.
All things considered, this isn’t a rebuild in name anymore—it’s a slow climb toward relevance. And how they use this draft pick could define whether they continue ascending… or start slipping backward again.