Chicago Bulls season preview: Opening schedule, win projection and everything to know for 2026-27

The 2026-27 NBA season is here! Check out our team previews, including power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy advice.

East:Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

West:Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

CHICAGO BULLS2025-26 finish

Record: 31-51 (12th in the East, did not make the playoffs)

Offseason moves

Draft: Caleb Wilson (No. 4), Dailyn Swain (No. 15)

Signings: Norman Powell (2 years, $45 million), Zach Collins (2-year, $17 million extension)

Trades: Nic Claxton (from Brooklyn), Buddy Hield (from Hornets)

Key departures:Collin Sexton (signed with Lakers), Anfernee Simons (signed with 76ers), Nick Richards (signed with Heat), Rob Dillingham (traded to Hornets)

Current roster

Can Caleb Wilson make a Rookie of the Year run? (Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images)IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERSPreseason Power Rankings: No. 25

What's exciting: Caleb Wilson was the most gifted athlete in the draft, with the bounce to finish above traffic or spring back up for an offensive rebound. Then, in Las Vegas Summer League, he looked more like a go-to scorer with an ability to drain 3s off the dribble and drive to the rim. There's a chance he turns out to be the steal of the draft as the fourth pick if he sustains his skill development into real games. At a minimum, Josh Giddey should have some fun throwing him lobs, and Matas Buzelis now has a compelling frontcourt partner to grow with. Together, they give Chicago three big creators who can initiate the offense and attack in different ways. It'll be fascinating to see how Tiago Splitter gets them creating opportunities for each other as the Bulls begin to build their next era.

What's concerning: There could be a sizable gap between how exciting the Bulls look in the open floor and how difficult they are to guard in the half-court. As many shot creators as there are on the team, it remains to be seen how effective any of them will be at shooting off the dribble and thus causing the defense to respect them on the perimeter. There is a lot of pressure on Splitter to find the right combination of players to optimize the development of the young core. — Kevin O'Connor 

Preseason Power Rankings: How all 30 teams stack up ahead of 2026-27

Fantasy watch

Jalen Smith is a riser: 13 and 8 in 20 minutes in Wednesday's preseason game, and with Nic Claxton out (hamstring, will be re-evaluated on Oct. 19), he's the clearest injury fill-in on the board.

Caleb Wilson will likely hurt your efficiency, but the points-league appeal is real: 15 points in 29 minutes with a path to 30-plus mpg. — Dan Titus

Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season

2026-27 schedule

Opening week: 10/21 at Raptors, 10/23 at Bucks, 10/24 vs. Wizards

Complete schedule

Betting perspective

29.5 — win total

+8000 to win division

+75000 to win NBA Finals

Best case, worst case

Best case: Just outside the Play-In + young core impresses

I almost went full "September NBA Thoughts" and tossed out a firm play-in nod, but I do think that'd take some injury misfortune and general underachieving ahead of them. Still, it's not hard for me to envision the Bulls being better-than-expected defensively, thus fueling a breakneck transition attack that catches teams off guard.

Toss in some fringe All-Star cases for Giddey, Powell (who just earned his first selection) and/or Buzelis, and you'd have to feel good about where things are going. Add in a potential Rookie of the Year run from Wilson, and you'd feel even better.

Also, back to Giddey specifically: if he takes a meaningful step with his inside-the-arc effectiveness, you enter the offseason feeling better about him (and his contract) or with a pretty enticing trade chip — on a good contract — if you wish to sell high.

Worst case: Bottom of the East + Giddey stagnation

The new lottery rules (don't get me started) already make finishing at the bottom of the standings way less enticing. If the Bulls are awful and you don't get the Giddey answers you want … yeesh. They wouldn't be in an impossible spot by any means, but you'd run the risk of prolonging the road to sustained success. Bulls fans deserve a lot better. — Nekias Duncan

Read the full Central Division preview