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Chicago Bulls introduce first-round picks Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain
A new day for the Chicago Bulls began as the franchise introduced first-round picks Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in a press conference on Friday.
The NBA offseason has moved past the draft into NBA Free Agency. It's been a wild start.
Stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant have new homes after their respective trades. This shifts the landscape within the Eastern Conference.
So, what about the Chicago Bulls? They made a swing that might pay off in the long run.
Here's how we evaluate the Bulls' moves in free agency, where multiple grades might come with a curve later on.
Bulls reportedly sign Norman Powell
This was a surprise signing for a few reasons. First, Powell was expected to ink with a contender. Second, the Bulls landed him. Third, the Bulls landed him on a two-year contract with a team option for the second year.
On the surface, Powell gives the Bulls some much-needed shooting. Drafting Caleb Wilson works if the Bulls play at a fast pace and space the floor properly with shooters.
Powell is a shooter. He shot 38 percent from 3-point range last season while also scoring
Digging deeper, the Bulls are paying $45 million for two years. That team option in his contract does make Powell a trade candidate this season.
If their goal is to acquire assets they could use now or in the future, sending Powell to a contender at the trade deadline is a way to do it. He’s a player who’s basically on a one-year deal.
There’s also a good reason for the Bulls to keep Powell, too. We’ll get into that soon.
Grade: A
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 24: Norman Powell #24 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on February 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and …
Bulls extend center Zach Collins
This signing is contingent on Collins’ health.
The Bulls have a logjam of post players now. Caleb Wilson, Nic Claxton, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue are all on the roster. Collins is a good screener who can open space for shooters.
The problem is the Bulls don’t have many shooters outside of Powell.
Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton signed elsewhere. Rob Dillingham remains on the roster, and he shot 44 percent from 3-point range in college but that hasn’t translated to the pro level.
In essence, the Bulls extended a screening big without having many shooters to screen for outside Powell.
The plus side is this is a pretty friendly contract, and the Bulls could flip Collins to a shoot-first team in need of a screening big. If that’s the case, the grade for this one curves a bit.
Grade: C (could curve to a B)
Bulls exercise team option on Leonard Miller
At $2.4 million, this makes sense. The Bulls get a 6-foot-10 forward who provides depth in the front court.
Miller averaged 16.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in the final seven games of the regular season. He also shot 35.6 percent on 3-pointers last year for the Bulls.
Of all the players they got in return at the trade deadline, Miller was one that proved he was worth keeping around. It made sense for the Bulls.
Grade: B
Welcome, Caleb Wilson. The future of the Chicago Bulls is ahead of you
There's no hesitation in Caleb Wilson. There’s just his confidence. That confidence is why he could live up to the high expectations he's put on himself as he joins the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls’ starting five
PG: Josh Giddey
SG: Norman Powell
SF: Matas Buzelis
PF: Caleb Wilson
C: Nic Claxton
Reserves: Tre Jones, Rob Dillingham, Zach Collins, Leonard Miller, Jalen Smith, Patrick Williams, Noa Essengue.
The Bulls have a cohesive roster.
They have size, athleticism, a primary ball handler and a primary scoring option. This team isn’t the worst team in the league, which is good.
One of the reasons the Bulls might look to retain Powell is because of the NBA’s new tanking rules.
In the newest "3-2-1" NBA lottery odds distribution, the teams that finish above the three worst records in the league but outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament will have the best odds of landing one of the top picks in the NBA Draft.
The three teams that finish with the three worst records in the league will have a 5.4 percent chance to land the No. 1 overall pick, a five percent chance to land the No. 2 overall pick and six percent odds to land picks No. 3 through No. 9.
The remaining non-Play-In Tournament teams have s 8.1 percent chance to win the No. 1 overall pick, and an eight percent chance to win picks No. 2 through No. 5.
This is a deterrent for tanking, incentivizing teams to stay competitive all season long as opposed to purposefully putting together flawed rosters to get the best odds possible of landing the best pick in the draft.
This upcoming Bulls season is about developing Caleb Wilson into the cornerstone star player the Bulls want him to be. Part of that development is drafting players who can develop into key players on a contending roster.
With the new lottery model, the Bulls have to toe the line between being flawed but staying competitive. This roster can do that on paper.
Grade: B, but could curve to an A