The Chicago Bulls, for the most part, have done an excellent job re-establishing their roster this offseason after the previous regime tore things down at the deadline.
Bryson Graham has entered the fold with a distinct vision—seeking out athleticism and defensive upside at every turn—and his decisions have reflected that. The organization's selections of Caleb Wilson at fourth overall and Dailyn Swain at 15th overall give this team a much-needed injection of youth, and the additions of Nic Claxton via trade and Norman Powell via free agency will help raise the floor of this roster in general.
The ceiling likely isn't that high yet, but that's not the goal. The goal is for Chicago to bring in talent that can either be developed or flipped for future draft capital, and Graham has done a solid job at that. With just one roster spot remaining, it feels as though their offseason business has come to an end.
But a recent storyline has emerged that reveals a move that was potentially in the works for the Bulls before everything was said and done. Sylvain Francisco, in a recent interview with French outlet L'Equipe, specifically highlighted Chicago as one of the teams that was in pursuit of him this offseason—but he claims that the league-wide LeBron James hold-up prevented any move from happening before his exit clause in his contract with his European club expired.
It's not the biggest loss of the offseason, but it's certainly an intriguing narrative wrinkle.
Sylvain Francisco may have been a worth addition to this Bulls team—if his claims are true
After an excellent EuroLeague season—in which he averaged 16.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting 39.9% from 3-point range across 38 games with BC Zalgiris—Francisco likely had interest from multiple NBA teams this offseason.
Although he's currently 28 years old, the fit with the Bulls makes sense. While Rob Dillingham and Tre Jones will function as the backup point guards behind Josh Giddey, Chicago's backcourt depth isn't so insurmountable that they couldn't afford to add a smooth playmaker like Francisco.
At 6'1", Francisco's defensive upside is likely limited— but his upside as a floor-spacing, bench guard is certainly there if he ultimately decides to make the transition to the NBA next offseason. Francisco's last stint on this side of the pond came in the 2022 Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Now, as Elias Schuster at Sports Illustrated points out, there are multiple factors in Francisco's claims that don't necessarily line up. Chicago still has their 15th roster spot available, so why would they need to make a trade to give Francisco a guaranteed contract? Was Chicago actually a favorite for Francisco's services, or had they merely indicated interest at that time?
Either way, it's intriguing to think about the possibilities. Perhaps picking up Dillingham's team option and moving him to add Francisco to the fold was something Chicago considered— or there could have been something in the works involving Tre Jones, who has a team option next offseason valued at $8 million.
Francisco is now slated to return to Europe and will spend 2026-27 with Panathanaikos. Chicago's backcourt will be fine, but it's interesting to consider what might have been this offseason if the James saga hadn't held up much of the league's business.
Add us as a preferred source on Google