"Exciting" isn't a word most fans would use to describe the Chicago Bulls recently, but the roster Bryson Graham has put together in just one offseason has completely flipped that narrative. A group that includes rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, holdover centerpiece Matas Buzelis, and now veteran scorer Norman Powell, will surely draw eyes across the NBA in 2026-27.
Graham, the Bulls' new executive VP of basketball operations, didn't inherit many players who fit into his preferred SLAP archetype — ones with strength, length, athleticism and physicality.
But it didn't take him long to swap veteran role players like Collin Sexton (now with the Los Angeles Lakers) and Anfernee Simons (now with the 76ers) for explosive young wings like Wilson and Swain, and in doing so, turn fan apathy into giddy anticipation.
Bulls have the kind of young, electric roster fans have been craving
Wilson couldn't fit the SLAP archetype any better if he was created by Graham in a lab.
The 19-year-old is one of, if not the most explosive, players in the 2026 NBA Draft class. He's also 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan and plays with an elite intensity.
Swain isn't as wildly explosive as Wilson, but he's a sturdy 6-foot-7, carries a 6-foot-10 wingspan and is a more advanced scorer.
Buzelis made massive strides as an offensive player in his second NBA season.
Where this trio will excel most, though — with assists from Giddey and Powell — is on the other end of the floor and in transition.
Wilson and Swain aren't ready to be offensive fulcrums, but they're already capable of creating havoc defensively. Their size and explosiveness are built to dominate teams in transition and punish the rim.
Buzelis is more advanced as a scorer and facilitator, but at this point is still more comfortable using his size and explosive bounce to do damage at the rim.
Giddey is one of the NBA's best passers. He'll flourish as a jumbo floor general who can throw finishable lobs to all three.
Chicago sorely lacked any floor spacing until Powell arrived. He'll pull defenders out of the paint, give that foursome room to do their thing inside and take the offensive burden off of Swain and Wilson.
The Bulls aren't ready for a playoff run quite yet. But what this group is ready for is creating a level of enjoyment fans have been thirsting for.
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