Chicago Bulls Reportedly Set To Make Some Surprise Moves This Season

The Chicago Bulls have been a middling team in the Eastern Conference for a number of years now, and while they’ve built a young core, they haven’t yet taken a step toward true contention. In 2025–26, the Bulls are sitting at 23–23, which has them in ninth place in the standings, and like recent years, it appears as though they are headed for a play-in spot that could result in a very short run in the NBA Playoffs.

Given the way their core is currently set up, many around the league have expected the Bulls to eventually shift toward the future, prioritizing their young players and long-term flexibility. However, a recent report from Eric Pincus suggests the team is at least exploring ways to improve its postseason chances this season, while still focusing on building around Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.

“Per multiple league and agent sources, Chicago is looking to improve postseason chances this season while adding young, athletic players to complement its core duo of Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.”

With the likes of Patrick Williams, Nikola Vučević, and Ayo Dosunmu on the roster, there is certainly talent, but it remains to be seen what roster moves the team believes could meaningfully elevate them in the short term.

Ultimately, the Bulls appear to be weighing multiple paths forward, and while nothing suggests a full win-now pivot, they could still be active ahead of the 2026 trade deadline as they evaluate how competitive they want to be right now.