Analyst: Chicago Bulls ‘definitely’ got worse this offseason

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.

“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.