Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Pod

The first game of the Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter era was a total disaster, with the Bulls suffering a historic 43-point loss to Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. The Bulls got sucked into a perfect storm of bad, with the Raptors presenting a uniquely difficult matchup for a young roster just learning how to play together under a new head coach. 

It was a mess up and down the lineup. Caleb Wilson's debut was marred by nine turnovers and a -45 in the box score, Josh Giddey played arguably his worst game as a Bull, and Matas Buzelis didn't do anything until garbage time. The Bulls' best offense was often Norman Powell grifting, or the occasional Tre Jones drive to the basket. At least Jalen Smith was pretty good too. 

The worst season-opening loss in franchise history was a harsh reminder of just how far the Bulls have to go, with Giddey and Buzelis' struggles the most disappointing. The good news is there's nowhere to go but up. 

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After winning their preseason opener against the Suns, the Bulls then suffered close losses to the Grizzlies and Nuggets. Ricky and Jason go through the roster to highlight the biggest storylines from these two preseason losses. 

(02:14) - Caleb Wilson has been a roller-coaster ride this preseason, but there have been plenty of exciting star flashes. After a quiet first half against the Grizzlies, Wilson exploded in the second half with a barrage of 3-pointers. He followed that up with a solid game against the Nuggets that did still feature plenty of mistakes. The Bulls are clearly giving Wilson a lot of leash to make mistakes, and there are going to be plenty of growing pains. What's the best way to handle Wilson's development? 

(17:45) - Matas Buzelis missed the Grizzlies game with an injury but returned for the Nuggets game and got off to a hot start from 3-point range after missing all of his triples against the Suns. Buzelis cooled off from deep after that but still wound up having a solid overall game as he shows an ongoing determination to get to the rim. However, there are still some concerns about his handle and playmaking ability as he tries to make a major leap in Year 3. 

(23:38) - Leonard Miller has arguably been the Bulls' best player in preseason, with his 26-point performance against the Nuggets really standing out. Not only was Miller everywhere as usual, he also hit four 3-pointers. Miller is making a strong case for big minutes this season off the bench and is making the Ayo Dosunmu trade look much better despite the Rob Dillinngham disaster. 

(35:55) - Rookie Dailyn Swain has been a disappointment so far, and Ricky is second-guessing his positive pre-draft evaluation. While Swain has been better than he was in Summer League, that bar was so low there was nowhere to go but up. Swain just doesn't look like the same guy he was at Texas with his lack of effective slashing, and his ugly 3-point shot needs a total overhaul. Will he get a lot of time in the G League or actually get rotation minutes to start the season? 

(43:26) - While Ricky is quickly souring on Swain, he's keeping more hope alive for Noa Essengue, who has seen more playing time in the last couple games. Essengue continues to struggle offensively, especially with his 3-point shot, but he did a bit more all over the court in Denver. In an intriguing move, the Bulls had Essengue pressuring the ball 94 feet, frustrating Jamal Murray on several occasions. Essengue does look ticketed for a lot of G League minutes and could wind up being a lost cause if he never develops offensively, but it's hard to give up on his size and athletic profile given he's still just so young. 

(56:17) - Final quick-hitter thoughts on Patrick Williams, Jordan Hawkins, Orlando Robinson, Josh Giddey, Tre Jones' return and the Bulls' bench. 

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The Bulls tipped off preseason play with a 124-117 victory over the Suns at the United Center. It was a sloppy, roller-coaster affair as expected, with turnovers aplenty committed by both teams. But all preseason caveats aside, there was plenty to break down all across the roster. 

The main focus was on Caleb Wilson's debut, and it was a predictably messy affair. While there were some tantalizing flashes throughout the night, Wilson's 3-point shot didn't look good and he was a bit overeager on both ends of the court. There will be plenty of growing pains in Wilson's rookie season, and it'll be important for him to learn from his mistakes as he gets more experience. 

Matas Buzelis also took center stage as the last player announced in the starting lineup, and he had an up-and-down game as well. Buzelis got off to a rip-roaring start with aggressive drives to the basket, but his 3-point shooting was a rough spot. The youngster missed all six of his 3-point attempts, including a number of airballs. Defensively, he had a tough assignment guarding the perimeter, leading to a rather mixed bag on that end. 

As for the rest of the starting lineup, Norman Powell did his thing in one half, while Josh Giddey looked like Josh Giddey. Jalen Smith got the start in place of the injured Nic Claxton and showed why he has a case to be the Opening Night starting center. 

Off the bench, Dailyn Swain was thrust into a point guard role again with Tre Jones out, and it looked like it was going to be a disaster at the outset. Swain struggled against ball pressure and committed several ugly turnovers, but instead of spiraling, he got better as the game went on and showed improvement. 

Tobe Awaka and Leonard Miller were other standouts, while Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams didn't see the court until the second half. Williams did make a pair of 3-pointers in his second-half action, but Essengue once again struggled offensively and looks targeted for the G League. 

The Bulls play the Grizzlies and Nuggets this weekend as preseason action continues. 

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2026 Bulls Media Day arrived Monday to officially tip off training camp, but before that, the Bulls traded Rob Dillingham to the Hornets for Buddy Hield. Dillingham was almost immediately waived by the Hornets, while Hield will bring a veteran presence, elite shooting and a possible trade chip to Chicago. 

After breaking down the Hield trade, Ricky and Jason go through their biggest takeaways from Media Day. Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter got the ball rolling and stressed that the Bulls are at the ground floor of a rebuild and that this upcoming season will focus on development. But while there may not be a lot of wins this season, there can still be plenty of fun.

Graham also discussed his first offseason in charge and noted the trade market didn't develop as hoped when it came to acquiring more draft assets, so he used the Bulls' robust cap space to acquire vets Nic Claxton and Norman Powell to improve the floor of the team. The Bulls still have flexibility and there will be more opportunities for moves during the season, but Graham isn't going to mortgage the future for short-term gain. Graham is talking the talk so far, but he needs to prove soon he can walk th walk. 

On the injury front, Zach Collins is predictably already hurting, though he should be back relatively soon. Josh Giddey is at 100% after offseason ankle surgery, and everybody else is good to go. 

As for the biggest player storylines, everything revolves around Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis. The hype train is going full steam ahead for Wilson, though Graham wants to temper expectations and not go too overboard. Buzelis is looking forward to more "freedom" on both ends of the court, and his shot diet is going to be a big talking point this season as he looks to diversify his offensive skill set and take more mid-range shots. Fans will be paying close attention to how Splitter handles Wilson and Buzelis after complaints of Billy Donovan's short leash for Buzelis. 

How rookie Dailyn Swain bounces back from a terrible Summer League will also be something to watch, and Splitter noted it has been a night and day difference at training camp. There hasn't been a whole lot about Noa Essengue, but Splitter noted he's looking aggressive early in camp. 

The Bulls will have about a week of training camp before their first preseason game on Oct. 7 against the Suns. 

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Ricky and Jason go through the Bulls' expected starting lineup for the 2026-27 season. With training camp approaching, the projected starters are Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Nic Claxton. 

Giddey is facing a make-or-break season in Chicago. After a somewhat disappointing 2025-26 season, Giddey needs to prove to Bryson Graham he's a true foundational piece in order to stick around for the long haul. 

Buzelis is one of the Bulls' foundational pieces right now, and he's looking to make a leap in Year 3. What does he have to do to really break out? 

Next to Giddey in the backcourt is Powell, who's coming off an All-Star season and could be something of a mercenary with the Bulls on a short-term deal. Will the Bulls get the All-Star version or Powell and will he still be in Chicago after the trade deadline? 

Claxton was the other major veteran acquisition this offseason. Several years removed from the best season of his career, will Claxton be rejuvenated by a fresh start? Or will he continue to slip and open the door for Jalen Smith? 

Finally there's Wilson, who should be in the mix for Rookie of the Year after his impressive Summer League. 

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The Bulls are under two weeks from Media Day and the start of training camp, and they just finalized Tiago Splitter's coaching staff. The staff features a nice surprise in the form of franchise legend Taj Gibson, who just retired from the NBA and immediately returned to Chicago as a coach. Ricky and Jason talk all things Taj and why bringing him back is a good move. 

The Bulls also have a plan in place to replace Stacey King, going with a cycle of Adam Amin sidekicks throughout the season. It's a decision that makes sense given King's larger than life persona that will be just about impossible to replace. 

The discussion then turns to the Bulls' projected win total and where they stand in the Eastern Conference. While that win total has spiked since the odds first came out, it's still hard to see the Bulls being better than many teams in a suddenly loaded East. What's their ceiling? 

Finally, there just had to be a little bit of Bears talk after a 59-point season opener. 

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Jason joins Hardwood Knocks' Dan Favale for their annual Bulls season lookahead at the tail end of an eventful offseason that brought about regime change. What's to make of Bryson Graham's first offseason in charge? There was a lot of kicking the can down the road with short-term deals (Norman Powell, Nic Claxton trade, Zach Collins), making the upcoming season an important one for evaluation for new head coach Tiago Splitter before potentially bigger moves later. 

Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis are at the center of it all as they look to develop into a star forward pairing. How do they fit together and what should we expect to see this upcoming season? 

Josh Giddey also plays an important role as the point guard of this offense, and he's facing pressure to prove to Graham that he's worth keeping around as a franchise cornerstone. Giddey has improved upon many of his shortcomings, but his inconsistent last season still leaves plenty of questions about his future. 

Jason then looks at a bunch of the other young players on the roster, including Leonard Miller, Noa Essengue, Dailyn Swain and Rob Dillingham. Essengue and Swain's brutal Summer League performances put a damper on their expectations coming into the season, and it'll be interesting to see how much this group plays under Splitter. 

The end of the pod looks at a number of topics, including team needs, the rotation and lineup predictions, and season predictions. 

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After lengthy forays into restricted free agency, both Bennedict Mathurin and Jonathan Kuminga went off the board in the same day. Mathurin is heading to the Pelicans on a two-year, $16 million deal, while Kuminga is going to the Timberwolves on a two-year deal worth over $12 million. The Bulls were reportedly interested in both players, but did they ever really have a chance? And are the Bulls actually missing out here? 

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported the Bulls as a team that "aggressively" pursued Mathurin via sign-and-trade, though a sign-and-trade would've required a three-year deal and Bryson Graham seemed hesitant to hand out any long-term contracts this summer. Perhaps Graham truly was willing to go that far for Mathurin, but the young guard clearly preferred the Pelicans and will be getting the Clippers to withdraw his qualifying offer in order to sign as an unrestricted free agent.

As for Kuminga, the fit didn't seem right with the Bulls even though they've been rumored to be interested going back to the Arturas Karnisovas regime. Kuminga picked a contender in the Timberwolves over more money from the Lakers, so the Bulls likely didn't have much of a chance even though Jake Fischer noted them being "involved to a real degree."

Ricky and Jason aren't shedding any tears over missing out on Mathurin and Kuminga, even at these small price points. So, how will the Bulls fill that last roster spot? Will they fill it at all before the season? Or will they take it into the season? 

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Ricky and Jason break down the Bulls' 2026-27 season schedule and make their annual game-by-game predictions. The start of the season is absolutely brutal, putting the Bulls in a position to start slow. Will that make them more likely to look to sell off certain players as the year goes on? Will a softer close to the schedule help them beat Vegas' projections? 

Plus, shoutout to the Bulls for once again killing their schedule release video. This year's was inspired by Grand Theft Auto and is a must-watch. 

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Ricky and Jason are back after a hiatus following Bulls Summer League. Since the last podcast, LeBron James surprisingly picked the 76ers in free agency, adding another bombshell move to the pile this offseason. All the crazy player movement sets up what should be a fascinating 2026-27 NBA season with plenty of potential contenders, and Ricky goes over his offseason power rankings. 

The Bulls are on the other end of the contender spectrum, but they recently popped up in free agency rumors with reported interest in Clippers restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin. While that interest was then downplayed, it's still worth looking into the possibility of Mathurin taking that last roster spot. Or could the Bulls look to pull off a sign-and-trade that would then open up more roster flexibility? 

Mathurin is a flawed player and something of a one-trick pony, but his talent could be worth the gamble on a team-friendly deal. However, the Kawhi Leonard situation seems to be holding up Mathurin's free agency, leaving the young guard in limbo. 

The guys wrap up with a look at LeBron's move to the 76ers and just how they're going to make it all work, complete with a Bulls-Sixers trade hypothetical that would help both sides.

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