ESPN analyst left unhappy after Chicago Bulls 2025 offseason

The Chicago Bulls have yet to sign Josh Giddey back, which they’re more than likely going to do no matter how long it takes. There’s virtually no other interest in the RFA. That could change things, but as of now, it’s been a C- type of offseason in the eyes of ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.

“I liked the Bulls bringing back Tre Jones on a three-year, $24 million contract with a team option on the final season,” he said. He also added that he isn’t terribly displeased with the Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro swap, since Chicago could get more out of him than Cleveland could.

“Still, the Bulls shouldn’t be content with largely staying the course after three consecutive play-in losses,” he added. “And although I’m high on No. 12 pick Noa Essengue, Chicago would have been better off making the same draft-night deal Atlanta did with New Orleans.”

Had the Bulls pulled off that swap, they likely could’ve still landed an impact prospect and had an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to go with it. That would have yielded a better overall offseason than staying pat for Essengue, no matter how exciting he might be right now as a prospect.

And while bringing back Jones on a good deal is a nice move, it’s not doing anything to move the needle because he was on the team already. He’s not an addition, just a returning player. And for the record, Giddey will be, too, so unless he’s on a fairly team-friendly deal, that might not be very impactful this offseason, either.

Still, it could’ve been a lot worse. Several teams did much worse than the Bulls’ C- mark, including the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and others who had the same grade as Chicago.