The Chicago Bulls enter the 2025-26 season with a fresh optimism surrounding their young core as they hope to take the next step and build off their strong finish to last season, which saw them sneak into the Play-In with the No. 10 seed.
Their big move of the off-season was locking Josh Giddey down to a long-term deal, signing the Aussie to a four-year, $100 million contract, solidifying their core of Giddey, alongside Coby White, Matas Buzelis, and Ayo Dosunmu.
Each of their four core pieces is aged 25 or younger, so while the Bulls have time to find their stride, they need to show signs of progress this season.
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Josh Giddey has the keys in Chicago
Signing Giddey to a long-term deal was a sign of intent from the Bulls to build their roster around the 6-foot-8 point guard, and now, in his fifth season, there’s a sense of responsibility that comes with being the team’s highest-paid player.
The Bulls want to play fast and lean into Giddey’s strength in transition and as a playmaker, which was evident during their second-half stretch to finish the season, as they won 15 of their last 20 games.
JOSH GIDDEY’S STATLINE TONIGHT 😳
🏀 15 PTS
🏀 10 REB
🏀 17 AST (ties career-high)
🏀 8 STL (career-high)Getting it done in all phases in the Bulls win! pic.twitter.com/qsE0lFMNcJ
— NBA (@NBA) March 23, 2025
“He’s got an incredible ability to get you easy baskets,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said.
“…And I think you saw him make a lot of strides last year defensively, that’s still something we need collectively as a team.
“In transition, as an offensive player, you want him to be who he’s always been, and he’s very, very creative, and you want to let him be creative.”
Following Zach LaVine’s trade to Sacramento, when Giddey was given the keys to the offense, the Aussie put up eye-catching numbers after the All-Star break, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.5 steals on 50 percent shooting from the field, 45.7 percent from the 3-point line, and 80.9 percent at the free throw line.
Can he carry that momentum into this season and make a push for the All-star team?
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What will a good season look like for Chicago?
For all the talented young pieces they have, plenty has to go right in Chicago this season to be considered progress.
Finishing last season at 39-43, the Bulls rode a wave of momentum to just sneak into the playoff picture, and while they didn’t make any splashy moves in the summer, they’re banking on their internal development to take them to another level.
Coby White emerged as a franchise cornerstone last season, averaging 20.4 points on 37 percent from beyond the arc on a career-high 7.9 attempts, but the biggest x-factor heading into the new campaign is Matas Buzelis.
The No. 11 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft showed flashes of his potential last season as a starter following the LaVine trade, and throughout the Bulls’ pre-season he looks exactly like the player everyone thought he was before the draft.
“I think everybody believes that they’re surprised with the big jump I’ve made, or ‘jump’, but I’m not surprised,” Buzelis said following Chicago’s 126-120 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “I know how hard I work. It’s just going to be better moving forward.
“I think there’s always going to be a learning curve somewhere, and that’s when you have to strive through, and that builds character for you as a person, player…,” he added. “I know there’s going to be a learning curve soon, and I’m going to have to be ready for it.”
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) October 17, 2025
Buzelis looms as the player with the biggest upside on the roster and the most potential to swing their fortunes.
He is currently tied with Giddey with the sixth-best odds to win Most Improved Player of the Year this season, per Unibet and if the Lithuanian takes the leap we expect, alongside Giddey and White, this might be the year Chicago turns the corner.
