It’s rebuild time in Chicago. If that wasn’t obvious last season, it should be now. And it would be damning if a strong final stretch once again convinces the Bulls to delay the inevitable, just like it did a year ago.
The Bulls are 9–14 to start the 2025–26 season, sitting outside the playoff picture in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. But neither the record nor the standings is the most alarming part. Chicago has dropped seven straight games—some of them to bottom-tier teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and New Orleans Pelicans.
Injuries aside, this roster is clearly not built to contend. There are simply too many weaknesses Chicago must address before it can even think about competing. Combine those roster holes with seven players on expiring contracts, and the case for a rebuild becomes harder to ignore.
Rebuilds start with draft picks
To start a rebuild, the most important resource is draft capital—that much is obvious. Look at the Nets: after years of botched trades, they finally committed to a rebuild, stockpiled picks, and used all five of them in the 2025 draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s emerging dynasty followed the same blueprint, hoarding draft picks to build their foundation. The Bulls, meanwhile, have settled for drafting just one or two players per season, and the results speak for themselves.
Chicago has actually drafted fairly well in recent years, but one mid-round pick and an occasional second-rounder will only take you so far. That’s why it’s imperative for the Bulls to start stockpiling draft capital. This season even seemed like it could mark the beginning of that process, with the Portland Trail Blazers’ first-round pick set to convey if they make the playoffs.
If you recall, Chicago acquired a future first-round pick from the Trail Blazers in the 2021 three-team trade that sent Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland, Larry Nance Jr. to Portland, and brought Derrick Jones Jr. to the Windy City. However, that pick is lottery-protected through 2028, and with the Blazers also in the midst of a rebuild, it hasn’t been close to conveying.
Yet after a surprising 36-win campaign in 2024–25 and a clear intention to improve over the offseason—highlighted by trading for Jrue Holiday and re-signing an injured but former All-Star Damian Lillard—there was real optimism that this long-forgotten draft pick might finally convey, giving Chicago two first-round selections for the first time since 2018.
Bulls’ hopes for Portland pick fade
However, once again, it doesn’t look like the pick will convey. After a strong 4–2 start, the Blazers have fallen to 9–15 and sit 10th in the grueling Western Conference. They’re two games behind the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies and three and a half games back of the Golden State Warriors, a team still clinging to championship aspirations.
The teams behind the Blazers don’t inspire much concern. Still, the Dallas Mavericks shouldn’t be overlooked with Cooper Flagg finding his footing, Anthony Davis back in the lineup, and Kyrie Irving nearing a return. It’s entirely possible Portland slips out of the Play-In Tournament altogether.
Still, if there’s a silver lining for the Bulls, it’s that the Trail Blazers have the league’s weakest remaining schedule. Their upcoming opponents hold a combined 47.2 win percentage—30th in the association. So there’s at least a chance Portland sneaks into the playoffs, but in the gauntlet that is the West, it remains unlikely.
With Chicago’s only realistic path to another first-round pick in the loaded 2026 draft fading, it should give the Bulls’ front office a much-needed push to explore other ways to acquire a valuable first-rounder.
The Bulls are on track to select a prospect in the late lottery, but adding another first-round pick would be a huge help to kickstart this long-awaited rebuild. With those seven expiring contracts, it shouldn’t be impossible for Chicago to acquire another draft pick by trading a veteran to a contender in need of reinforcements ahead of the postseason.