The Bulls locked up point guard Josh Giddey on a four-year, $100 million contract in what some insiders deem to be one of the most underrated moves of the entire offseason. But Giddey alone won't help the franchise escape its regular slot in the middle of the first round of the NBA draft, even if the 22-year-old helps lead Chicago to the playoffs.
The Giddey signing was the most significant move the organization made this summer. Lonzo Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, who should fill a need as a defensive-minded wing. The Bulls made Noa Essengue the No. 12 pick in the 2025 draft, but he's 18 years old and not ready to contribute at the NBA level. Tre Jones returns as Giddey's backup.
The only other deals of even relative significance were the additions of Yuki Kawamura and Mouhamadou Gueye to the end of the bench.
Even executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, general manager Marc Eversley and head coach Billy Donovan received extensions after leading the team to three consecutive Play-In tournament losses.
Chicago has a chance to break that trend, even if Donovan and Co. are a long shot to even make it back to mediocrity, in the opinion of certain league insiders. Realistically, though, it probably doesn't matter.
Josh Giddey signing isn't enough to change Bulls' insignificance
Giddey is understandably viewed as a franchise cornerstone in the Windy City. He's coming off his best professional season after averaging career highs in rebounds (8.1), assists (7.2) and steals (1.2). He blew past his previous best in 3-point shooting percentage and knocked down 37.8 percent of his 4.0 triples per game. He'll have just turned 23 on opening night and already has 280 games of NBA experience.
Matas Buzelis will take on more playmaking duties this season and will be a more featured part of the offense. Coby White comfortably filled the role of the Bulls' leading scorer at the end of last year. Donovan found success with a starting lineup of Giddey, White, Buzelis, Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter, a group that led the team to a 17-10 finish.
But even if they pick up where they left off and make a surprising push to the playoffs, the Bulls aren't anywhere near capable of making an actual run. At best, they'll be stuck right back in familiar territory, picking somewhere in the teens of the 2026 draft with a slim chance of landing the franchise-changing young player who would help them finally escape averageness.