In an offseason marked by the Kevin Durant trade, Damian Lillard re-signing with the Trail Blazers, and a $70 million-per-year extension for Devin Booker, the Chicago Bulls have been relatively quiet.
Fans hoped for fireworks, like seeing the terms of Josh Giddey’s new deal, but instead, the most viral moment has been Noa Essengue getting dunked on.
It hasn’t been bland due to total inactivity. The Bulls traded Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro and re-signed Tre Jones on a team-friendly deal to solidify the backup spot behind Giddey. It has been bland because none of their moves have moved the needle.
Every transaction, including drafting Essengue, has not changed the starting lineup.
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The Logjam of Restricted Free Agency
Part of the reason the Bulls have been bland is strategic.
The quietness on the Giddey front shows growth from the disaster of Patrick Williams‘ contract from last offseason. Then, Chicago overpaid immediately instead of letting him test the market. This time, the front office is leveraging Giddey’s restricted free agency to negotiate a better deal.
Giddey’s situation reflects a league-wide pattern. Few teams have cap space, and many are saving it for the 2026 free-agent class. Most restricted free agents are receiving no offers, leaving teams with all of the leverage.
Teams are not total winners, though. They are unable to make any other move until they make a deal with the restricted free agent, causing free agency to be at a standstill.
One of the restricted free agents without a contract is Jonathan Kuminga, who has been rumored to end up on the Bulls via a sign-and-trade. Kuminga fits the mold of the players Arturas Karnisovas wants: a young, athletic wing with playoff experience who excels in transition.
Kuminga believes he is worth more than what the Warriors have offered and hasn’t come to terms on a deal. However, his rumored $30 million demands and the Bulls’ need to sign Giddey first could put him out of reach.
A Big Splash Was Never Realistic
Fans are tired of mediocrity and want a big move that shows the front office is as well, but that hasn’t happened yet.
A big move can only happen one way: trading Coby White.
He is the only player with trade value on the team besides Matas Buzelis, who is untouchable, and Giddey. The Bulls have been trying to trade Williams and Nikola Vucevic all offseason, but might have to come to terms that they will never get the value they are looking for.
So far, there’s no sign the front office is willing to move White either. That leaves the Bulls stuck in the middle: not bold enough to shake things up, not bad enough to rebuild, which has been the pattern during the Karnisovas era.
Their number one priority was to sign Giddey, which hasn’t happened. The Bulls have gotten younger, not from trading Vucevic, but by trading Lonzo for a reserve wing player. It has come to the point where fans are excited for the signing of Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract.
The front office is preaching patience, but hasn’t taken any steps to give hope for the future. The only move they made that affects the future is drafting Essengue. The Bulls cannot rely solely on the draft for their future, because they are too good to get a good pick. Trades were a significant part of last offseason, but nothing has materialized this offseason.
The Bulls have had a bland offseason, and they aren’t good enough to be bland.
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