The Chicago Bulls, for the most part, have prioritized solidifying their main roster this offseason.
They ultimately passed on both of their second-round draft selections, instead picking up Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the first round and adding Norman Powell (via free agency) and Nic Claxton (via trade) to help raise both the short-term floor and the long-term projection of this roster.
All of these moves should prove to be successful, and in terms of implementing his 'SLAP' vision, Bryson Graham has done an excellent job reconstructing this Bulls roster this offseason. But when you're in a rebuild, you can't afford to forego potential talent.
Leaving the 15th guaranteed roster spot open to start the season makes sense, especially if an opportunity presents itself on the buyout or mid-season trade market. Leaving the third two-way spot open doesn't.
Although Graham clearly hasn't placed an emphasis on late-draft talent, it would be surprising for Chicago to enter the season without at least some competition to take on a two-way contract alongside Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka. With training camp just under two weeks away, it's the final piece of offseason business they need to get sorted.
The Bulls' should bring in some competition for their final two-way spot ahead of training camp
Both Sellers and Awaka are solid options to have on the backend of the rotation on two-way deals. Sellers showcased some serious defensive intensity during his stint in Summer League, and he showcased enough offensive acumen at the college level—averaging 18.3 points and shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc in his final season at Providence—to believe in his ability to crack the Bulls' rotation at some point this season.
Awaka is more limited in his projection given his lack of positional height for a big man and his lack of an offensive game away from the basket. He might see more time in the G-League this season as he develops his offensive bag, but there's some long-term upside there as well if we can see improvement during his rookie season.
It's unclear what sort of path these players will have towards significant playing time, especially if Chicago chooses to hold onto its current bench depth for the duration of the season. But that doesn't mean a third two-way contract wouldn't be warranted.
Donovan Atwell, Chicago's Summer League standout, returned to college for the 2026-27 season, so he won't be an option. Neither will Lachlan Olbrich (who signed overseas) or Yuki Kawamura (who signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers).
There are some options left on the market, though—at least some who can be worked out on an Exhibit-10 deal. Trevor Keels, who averaged 20 points over four Summer League appearances with the Miami Heat, is an unrestricted free agent. Graham Ike, who averaged 7.4 rebounds playing traditional big man minutes for the Golden State Warriors, also remains unsigned.
Internally, the Bulls also have guards Houston Mallette and Boo Buie, who appeared on their Summer League roster.
In short, there are plenty of options for Chicago to explore with their final two-way spot, and their best move might be to bring in multiple of these pieces on Exhibit-10 deals to compete for that contract. We'll simply need to see how Graham plays it out over these next few days leading up to training camp.
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