Chicago BullsChicago hand their rebuild to Splitter
Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis remain the anchors, Caleb Wilson arrives from the draft and the Bulls add Claxton, Powell and Hield. Tiago Splitter must give this group some structure and fix a defence that proved costly last season.
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Chicago have a new head coach and the rebuild goes on. The Bulls finished twelfth in the East in 2025–2026, with 31 wins and 51 defeats. They scored 116.3 points per game but conceded 121.5. That gap explains Tiago Splitter's first job: a team cannot rely on its attack to make up for such a leaky defence every night.
Appointed in June, the new coach must also develop a squad in which young players have a big role. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis remain the anchors. Caleb Wilson, taken fourth in the draft, arrives with responsibilities to build rather than a status to take for granted.
Appointed 16 June 2026
points scored per 100 possessions
points conceded per 100 possessions
per game, for 116.3 scored
possessions per game: a team that runs
per game
Rankings out of 30 teams, 2025–2026 regular season.
Claxton, Powell and Hield join the youngsters
Nic Claxton, Norman Powell and Buddy Hield have joined Chicago. Hield was acquired from Charlotte on 27 September, in a trade that sent Rob Dillingham to the Hornets. Dailyn Swain, taken fifteenth in the draft, is also in the squad for the new season. Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton are among the summer departures.
- →Nic ClaxtonBrooklyn · centre
- →Norman PowellMiami · 21.7 points in 2025–2026
- →Buddy HieldCharlotte · for Rob Dillingham (27 September)
- →
- ←Anfernee SimonsSummer departure
- ←Collin SextonSummer departure
The newcomers do not all meet the same need. Claxton adds an option at centre, where Chicago must do a better job of containing opposing attacks. Powell and Hield bring experience on the perimeter and more ways to score. Their place must fit alongside the youngsters, rather than remove the chances to develop them.
Who scored in the current squad
Points per game, 2025–2026 regular season, all teams combined. Powell was the top scorer in the current squad, ahead of Giddey and Buzelis.
Josh Giddey, the playmaker
Giddey is the anchor for organising the attack. Buzelis must take on more on the wing, while Wilson discovers the NBA. Their partnership will be one of the first things to watch this season: the Bulls need these players to learn to be effective together, not just pile up individual statistics.
32 % of the team's assists
18 % of the team's rebounds
Shares calculated by SNA from per-game averages (Giddey: 54 games). Order of magnitude, not an official statistic.
Giddey runs the show, Buzelis and Wilson must grow
A starting five of Giddey, Powell, Buzelis, Wilson and Claxton is one possible projection from SNA. Splitter should not be locked into that line-up: roles, pairings and availability have yet to be settled. Claxton in particular is listed as questionable on the SNA page consulted on 14 October.
Running the offence
Outside shooting
On the wings
To be developed
Inside
Doubtful as of 14 October
SNA projection, not an official starting five. Fitness status based on SNA profiles. Each player opens his SNA profile.
The bench offers several profiles. Tre Jones gives another option at point guard, Hield from the outside. Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams and Leonard Miller are among the options on the wings, with Noa Essengue and Swain still to develop. Inside, Zach Collins, Jalen Smith and Orlando Robinson complete the choices. The size of the preseason squad means minutes cannot be promised to everyone.
Three-point shooting, player by player
Red line: Chicago's 2025–2026 average, 35.6% (19th in the NBA). Attempts per game, regular season, all teams combined.
The group: 21 players
The official list contains 21 players. The table groups together versatile positions; it shows the current squad, not Splitter's final rotation.
| Player | Status | Pts | Reb | Ast | 3PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shooting guards | |||||
| Josh Giddey | 17.0 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 36.4 % | |
| Buddy Hield | Rookie · Charlotte | 7.6 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 34.9 % |
| Brandon Boston Jr. | – | – | – | – | |
| Jordan Hawkins | 5.1 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 34.8 % | |
| Norman Powell | Rookie · Miami | 21.7 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 38.0 % |
| Tre Jones | 14.1 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 31.5 % | |
| Jaylin Sellers | Doubtful | – | – | – | – |
| Forwards | |||||
| Noa Essengue | – | – | – | – | |
| Dailyn Swain | Draft · 15th pick | – | – | – | – |
| Caleb Wilson | Draft · 4th pick | – | – | – | – |
| Drew Peterson | – | – | – | – | |
| Leonard Miller | 7.8 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 32.3 % | |
| Matas Buzelis | 16.3 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 34.9 % | |
| Jalen Bridges | – | – | – | – | |
| Patrick Williams | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 34.7 % | |
| Isaac Okoro | Doubtful | 9.3 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 33.0 % |
| Tobe Awaka | Doubtful | – | – | – | – |
| Centres and big men | |||||
| Orlando Robinson | – | – | – | – | |
| Nic Claxton | Rookie · BrooklynDoubtful | 11.7 | 6.9 | 3.7 | – |
| Zach Collins | Doubtful | 9.7 | 5.6 | 1.5 | 42.9 % |
| Jalen Smith | 10.2 | 6.7 | 1.2 | 37.3 % | |
2025–26 regular-season averages, all teams combined: Powell with Miami, Claxton with Brooklyn, Hield with Golden State then Atlanta, Leonard Miller with Minnesota then Chicago. Isaiah Stevens appears on the SNA profile page but not on the official NBA list. Doubtful players as per SNA profiles on 14 October. "–": no NBA games in 2025–26, fewer than 10 games or fewer than one three-point attempt per game. Each name opens the player's SNA profile.
The first progress will have to come off the ball
Chicago have more ways to support Giddey and their young wingers. Hield's shooting can create space, and the options at centre allow for different pairings. But these possibilities will not be enough if the Bulls keep conceding so many points.
The work involves all five players on the floor: stopping the first line of attack, helping a team-mate who has been beaten, then securing the rebound. Claxton cannot be expected to repair every defensive lapse on his own. For the young players, understanding these responsibilities will matter as much as earning a role in the offence.
The weapons
- A playmaking point guard: Giddey, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game in 2025–26.
- Pace: 103.2 possessions per game, 3rd in the NBA.
- Extra scoring: Powell (21.7 per game at Miami) and Hield's shooting.
- Young talent to develop: Buzelis, Wilson, Essengue, Swain.
Areas to fix
- Defence: 121.5 points conceded per game, 28th in the NBA.
- A defensive rating of 117.4, 22nd in the league.
- Three-point shooting: 35.6%, 19th in the NBA.
- Availability: Claxton, Okoro and Collins doubtful as of 14 October.
For SNA, climbing out of the bottom of the table while giving the group a lasting structure is the first credible objective.
A play-in push will depend on defensive progress that the rookies alone do not yet prove.
Thursday 22 October 2026 at 0:30, Brazzaville time · match centre
- The team’s live schedule appears here.
Countdown to tip-off.