Lacking star power, the Bulls must rethink their future

Despite boasting a desirable city and ample free agent funding synonymous with big-market teams, the Bulls roster doesn't include the type of talent the team is capable of attracting. 

Competing in a division with bona fide stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton and Cade Cunningham, the Bulls are entirely deprived of star power. 

25-year-old Coby White is arguably the team's best player, but even he hasn't lived up to the billing the team hoped for when they drafted him seventh overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

He's a quality scorer, but not a floor general capable of carrying Chicago out of mediocrity. 

Aside from White, not a single Bulls player averaged 15+ PPG last season. 

There aren't many reinforcements on the way, either. The team's 2025 first-round draft pick, Noa Essengue, doesn't project to be a high-volume scorer, and the Bulls aren't currently linked to any marquee free agents.

Bulls must land impact players in 2026 draft

With no big name to center their franchise around, the Bulls appear destined for a lottery pick in next year's draft, where they hope to find their next franchise pillar.

NBA scouts and draft analysts have already begun raving about the 2026 class that includes Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer or Nate Ament, and Chicago should be among the teams seeking a potential franchise-altering talent. 

The Bulls own the Portland Trail Blazers' 2026 first-round pick, as well as their own. However, with Portland's pick being top-14 protected, it's unlikely that Chicago will claim it. 

Still, entering 2025 with one of the worst rosters in the league, the Bulls could be a couple of ping pong bounces away from owning a top-five draft choice.

Despite being a play-in team last season, the Bulls' roster was far from championship caliber. The team desperately needs a roster overhaul, which could begin with selecting a game-changer in the draft.

Bulls must increase free agency presence

Unlike the Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets, the Bulls do not have small-market funding to blame for their woes. The reason Chicago isn't signing marquee free agents is simply because the ownership has not been aggressive with their pitches. 

In the last seven seasons, NBA legends Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, LeBron James and Jimmy Butler have all reached free agency, and the Bulls failed to schedule a formal meeting with any of them.

This isn't to suggest Chicago could spend its way to a title, but they should at least be as aggressive in the free agent market as their big-market counterparts.

Every offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks are linked to big-name players on the free agent and trade markets. Similarly, the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks are known to pursue roster improvements aggressively.

Over the last five seasons, every NBA championship team ranked in the top 10 in active payroll. The 2021 Milwaukee Bucks were the only champs during that span to win a title with an active salary below $160 million.

The Bulls' active salary of roughly $150 million entering 2025 is the seventh-lowest total in the league.

For comparison's sake, Chicago's payroll is nearly identical to the total the Oklahoma City Thunder will pay just for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams next season. 

Despite strong attendance and merchandise sales, the Bulls have not been aggressive in free agency over the last decade. Despite sharing similar markers, Chicago's active roster is roughly $50 million less than the Mavericks, fifth in the league in that category. 

While nobody expects Chicago to reach the championship three-peat heights they achieved in the 1990s, the Bulls don't have to be this bad, either.

Whether ownership changes or not, the team needs to become more calculated in its approach toward playoff contention.