The Chicago Bulls have entered a new era. Gone is the front office of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, replaced by a yet-to-be-named staff that will have the eyes of the league on them pretty much immediately. That new front office, whomever ends up occupying it, will also enter its first offseason in charge with multiple huge decisions to make; firstly, how will it spend the$60 million in cap space the Bulls are projected to have?
It's the question that will give fans their first taste of the (hopefully) new direction this franchise is headed in. Importantly, the Bulls new decision-makers need to be thorough and thoughtful about the decisions they make this summer, and not fall into the trap of making moves for the sake of it that new front offices often do — because that could also cause them to fall back into the same cycle of overpaying players who inevitably underproduce.
The Bulls must proceed with cuation this offseason
I don't want to sound ageist here, but the Bulls should take a "no old guys" approach to free agency this summer. If a potential signing will help the team more in 2026-27 than they would in 2029-30, then it's probbaly not worth the trouble.
Fans can't delude themselves into thinking this team is just one or two pieces away from competing at a high level . A near-full roster overhaul is needed before on-court results start showing up. That's probably not possible in one offseason, and going halfway there could be disastrous. If Payton Watson or Walker Kessler or another young piece is available, that would be a good use of cap space. It's okay to try to sign good players. But starhunting for guys who are brushing up with 30 or who won't individually win games for the team (in other words, what we've seen the past six years) is the last thing a new front office should be focused on.
The summer of 2027 — when the Bulls are slated to have just four players under contract, and hopefully have a better sense of what they have in Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue — is when the really big moves should start.
In the meantime, the Bulls should have one top 10 draft pick this year, and potentially another one in the teens if the Blazers make the playoffs. Whoever is making the decisions in a few months needs to focus on hitting in the draft and ignore the money burning a hole in their pocket. For once, being patient would benefit the Bulls.