For the most part, the Chicago Bulls have their storylines set in stone for the 2026-27 season.
Everyone's eyes will be on Caleb Wilson and Daily Swain as they begin their rookie campaigns. We'll also be looking for major strides from Matas Buzelis as he enters the penultimate season of his rookie deal, and both Norman Powell and Nic Claxton have a lot prove as part of this team's veteran leadership.
But this roster is open enough that there's room for some surprises. One of these might very well be Jaylin Sellers, whom Chicago added as an undrafted free agent this offseason.
Donovan Atwell, who was a Summer League standout during the Bulls' stint in Las Vegas, has chosen to return to college. Needless to say, that's a somewhat disappointing development for a Chicago team that still has an open two-way spot.
But without Atwell in the fold, Sellers' path to earning minutes in the backcourt is now clear. He could be a sneaky breakout candidate for the Bulls in 2026-27.
Jaylin Sellers is the exact type of energetic piece Chicago can use off the bench in 2026-27
If Atwell were ultimately interested, he would've likely had a place on the Bulls' roster. He had a slow start to Summer League, but the 6'5" guard put up a pair of impressive performances across his final three appearances, posting 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting against the Washington Wizards and 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He flashed a solid skill set on both ends of the floor, hitting his shots conistently from beyond the arc and showing some upside as an on-ball defender during his time in Las Vegas.
But with the NCAA's decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to players who were part of the 2022 recruiting class, Atwell has decided to return to Texas Tech for another season.
Thankfully, Chicago has an equally exciting two-way piece in Sellers. Across five summer league appearances, Sellers averaged 15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. While the efficiency wasn't there—he knocked down just 23.7% of his 3-point attempts and 39.3% of his field goals— he showed an aggressiveness and a confidence on the fast break that could make him a real weapon for Chicago this year.
He's also a more staunch defender than Atwell. At 6'5" and 206 lbs, Sellers has the frame and the lateral agility to quickly develop into a positive perimeter defender at the NBA level.
He won't be a major factor right away in the Bulls' backcourt. Josh Giddey and Powell will start, and Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, and Dailyn Swain will claim most of the bench minutes on the wing. But if Sellers is able to quickly establish himself as a rotation-caliber player, he has the two-way energy to be an asset off the bench for Chicago during his rookie campaign.
Atwell's return to college, therefore, costs the Bulls an enticing two-way candidate. But it leaves the door open for Sellers to claim his role once the season kicks off.
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