The Chicago Bulls' priority, above everything else in 2026-27, should be to get a complete picture of the talent they have on the roster.
Obviously, players like Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis will claim the majority of the attention when it comes to this. Those are likely the two stars of Chicago's future, and the team needs to maximize their touches at every possible opportunity in order to keep their development on the right trajectory.
But the young talent on this roster goes much deeper than that. Dailyn Swain, whom the Bulls selected at 15th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, has major long-term upside as a potential 3-and-D wing. So does Noa Essengue, although he'll need to gain strength and confidence at the NBA level before he's ready to take on a rotational role.
This season, therefore, will be one of rotational shuffling for the Bulls—figuring out what combinations can maximize each of these pieces' skill-sets and, hopefully, retrieving some draft capital for some of their tradeable assets at the deadline.
What they can't afford, though, is for fourth-year forward Leonard Miller to get lost in this shuffle. As limited as Miller's production has been during his time in the NBA, he still has upside to be unlocked in the frontcourt—and Chicago needs to give him every opportunity before they need to make a decision on a potential extension.
Leonard Miller can't simply be an afterthought for the Bulls in 2026-27
Miller was, frankly, an afterthought in the trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ayo Dosunmu. Rob Dillingham, who still has upside to be unlocked as a primary ball-handler and a perimeter shooter in the Bulls' backcourt, was the primary value in that deal.
Across four NBA seasons, MIller has averaged just 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists while knocking down 31.2% of his shots from beyond the arc. He's only ever a been a fringe rotational player at best, and there's a chance he's sidelined again with Tiago Splitter at the helm in Chicago.
Ultimately, the Bulls weren't able to maximize their return value for an asset like Dosunmu, and that's disappointing no matter how you want to spin it. But they must leave no stone unturned as they set out in their rebuild, especially when it comes to the assets they gained at last year's trade deadline.
As limited as Miller's opportunities have been, he still possesses the same length and agility that made him such an enticing, borderline first-round prospect coming out of the G-League Ignite program. He's a strong positional rebounder, and if he can ever get his perimeter shot to fall at a consistent rate, he'll be a solid bench piece in the making for whatever organization he ultimately spends his second contract with.
Bryson Graham has been clear about his vision for defensive upside and athleticism across the Bulls' roster. Miller, at least in terms of his potential, fits that to a tee.
He'll be hard-pressed to carve out consistent minutes with Buzelis, Swain, Essengue, Isaac Okoro, and even Patrick Williams in the fold on the wing and in the frontcourt. But the Bulls can't afford to walk into Miller's pending restricted free agency without a clear idea of how he can be maximized within Chicago's new scheme.
To do so would be to essentially give up on an asset at a time where each young piece comes at a premium for the organization. Miller, therefore, needs to be in the mix from the very start of the season to earn minutes in the Bulls' rotation.
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