Now that much of the league's offseason business has come to an end, the Chicago Bulls' roster seems fully solidified.
Josh Giddey and Norman Powell will start in the backcourt, with Tre Jones, Rob Dillingham, Dailyn Swain, and Jaylin Sellers taking on depth roles. Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson will form the starting forward duo, while Jalen Smith, Patrick Williams, Noa Essengue, and Leonard Miller come off the bench.
But things are slightly less clear-cut in the center rotation beyond recent trade acquisition Nic Claxton. The Bulls re-signed Zach Collins on a two-year, $17 million deal with a team option, presumably to take on a role as the backup big within the current rotation.
But Collins has never been a bona fide center or rim protector in his career. Nevertheless, Chicago has a clear mandate when it comes to Collins.
The way his deal is constructed makes him a clear trade candidate heading into 2026-27, and the Bulls need to give him extensive run behind Claxton in order to rehabilitate his value on the trade market.
The Bulls need Zach Collins to rehabilitate his trade value in 2026-27
Given the options that were available on the center market this offseason, re-signing Collins would've been the right move for a rebuilding team like Chicago no matter what. He's never been a major offensive contributor at the NBA level, averaging just 11.2 points and shooting 48.4% from the field in his last fully healthy season with the San Antonio Spurs, but he has enough upside as a defender and a peripheral scorer to be worth the price of admission.
Last season with Chicago, though, it was his health that held him back. Collins was limited to just 10 games after a suffering a severe toe sprain near the start of the season, forcing Smith to slide into a role as the team's part-time starting center.
Claxton will take on the bulk of the minutes at the position in 2026-27. But Claxton has never been a major minutes-eater, even on a tanking team like the Brooklyn Nets. He's never averaged more than 30 minutes per game over the course of his career, and it's likely that Chicago will need to platoon his minutes with Collins and Smith this season.
If Collins can stay healthy, his team option already makes him a prime candidate to be moved at the deadline.
But teams aren't looking for end-of-bench big men at that point in the season. They want pieces who can contribute seriously to a playoff run, and Collins will need to prove he can be that sort of player if the Bulls want to retrieve anything of value for his contract.
As tempting as it might be to give Claxton extensive run and minimize Collins' time on the court this season, therefore, it's imperative the Bulls give him a real opportunity to cement himself as a real rotational big man— even if it comes at the cost of some of Chicago's on-court defensive identity.
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