The Chicago Bulls aren’t hiding their intentions. The franchise’s eyes are on the 2026 offseason. More than a year in the making, the plan is simple—enter free agency with maximum flexibility. By next summer, the Bulls project to have just five guaranteed contracts on the books, with team options remaining for young prospects Matas Buzelis and Julian Phillips.

Chicago set its long-term plan in motion by trading veterans Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, all within a single year. Caruso, in the final season of his contract, signed an eye-popping four-year, $81 million deal with Oklahoma City, keeping him there into his mid-30s. After failing to reach an extension with Chicago, DeRozan agreed to a three-year, $74 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, anchoring him in California’s capital through his age-37 season.

Lastly, amid the five-year, $215 million deal he signed with the Bulls in 2022, LaVine followed his former teammate DeRozan, being sent to the Kings at last season’s trade deadline. Sacramento will now be responsible for paying the 30-year-old $95 million over the next two seasons.

The Bulls have set their future finances up nicely

After offloading the three veterans, the Bulls’ books are squeaky clean, except for Patrick Williams’ five-year, $90 million pact he signed in 2024. The 24-year-old is still owed $72 million over the next four seasons. At $18 million per annum, Williams is Chicago’s second-highest paid player, behind the recently re-signed Josh Giddey, who will earn $22 million in 2025-26.

Chicago’s current roster features just two players likely to command significant raises—Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White. But with both being 25-year-old, 6-foot-5 combo guards, their skill sets somewhat overlap. Nevertheless, it could be argued that White, who provides more value as a 20-point-per-game scorer, is the Bulls’ primary focus moving forward.

Even if White re-signs for a $30 million-per-year deal, the Bulls’ total cap hit would be roughly $97 million, not counting next year’s first-round pick. That still leaves Chicago about $69 million under the projected 2026–27 salary cap.

Consequently, the Bulls will have plenty of money to chase marquee free agents, but that begs the question: which stars are even available?

Free agency is no longer a means to attract star power

So, to answer the $100… er, $97 million question: not many. Veteran superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the cream of the crop, but at 41 and 37, respectively, neither makes much sense in the Windy City.

Trae Young is entering the final season of the five-year, $215 million contract he signed in 2022, though he could pick up his $48.9 million player option with the Atlanta Hawks. If he declines, he would be eligible for a five-year, $335 million extension next summer—provided he makes an All-NBA team. Should he test free agency, the maximum he could sign for is four years and $213 million. Thus, a $122 million difference, or still a sizable $74 million difference if he fails to reach All-NBA status.

Considering Young’s case, who’s hardly a realistic target for the Bulls anyway, there’s little incentive for any of the league’s stars to depart their respective squads in free agency. That brings us to the bigger question: are there even quality free agents the Bulls could realistically pursue?

The answer to that is probably not. Among potential flight risks are Andrew Wiggins, Anfernee Simons, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, John Collins, Mitchell Robinson, Norman Powell, Robert Williams III, Rui Hachimura, Tobias Harris, and restricted free agents Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes.

Robinson is an idealistic target for the defensively deficient Bulls, but he’s far from a marquee name. He’ll likely command anywhere from $15-20 million, given he stays healthy in 2025-26. Perhaps signing Kuminga would be a worthwhile investment.

All in all, the main point is that, despite plenty of salary cap space next offseason, the Bulls have no palpable free agent targets. Free agency is no longer what it used to be; contenders are built through the trade market and the draft. Unfortunately for the Bulls, they don’t possess the resources to nab a big-ticket name via trade, even if their future salary cap sheet is nearly flawless.