Chicago Bulls Central

Patrick Williams may be facing the biggest season of his Chicago Bulls career — and this time, his draft status and contract may not save him.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down The Patrick Williams Problem and why the former No. 4 pick has more to prove than anyone on the roster. Williams has struggled to show meaningful growth, shot a career-low 37.2% from the field in 2025-26, and now has to earn minutes under a front office that did not draft him or give him his five-year, $90 million deal.
Haize also looks at why Tre Jones may quietly be one of the most important Bulls this season. Jones averaged 13.5 points, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals in Chicago while shooting 55.6% from the field, and his nearly 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio gives the Bulls a steady low-usage guard who can help organize young players like Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain.
Then the spotlight shifts to Leonard Miller, who may be Tiago Splitter’s secret weapon. Miller finished last season strong, averaging 16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in April before Chicago picked up his inexpensive $2.4 million option. His athleticism, rebounding, transition ability and positional versatility give him a real path to minutes — but shooting, defensive discipline and a crowded frontcourt remain major obstacles.
🔥 Topics include:
The Patrick Williams problem
Why P-Will can no longer rely on draft status or contract
How Tiago Splitter may build a true performance-based rotation
Tre Jones as the Bulls’ most underrated development piece
Why Jones can help unlock Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Dailyn Swain
Leonard Miller’s late-season breakout
Why Miller fits Splitter’s pace, rebounding and role-based system
Miller vs Patrick Williams as a training camp battle
How the Bulls’ frontcourt crowd impacts minutes
Why performance must finally matter in Chicago
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
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Should the Chicago Bulls trade Jalen Smith — or is he more valuable to this roster than anything they could realistically get back?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the growing Jalen Smith decision. Smith has reportedly drawn interest from teams like the Lakers, Timberwolves, Warriors and 76ers, with Philadelphia previously offering multiple second-round picks before Chicago declined. But Haize explains why the Bulls should not move Smith just to collect low-value draft capital. Smith averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, shot 37.3% from three, and gives Chicago one of the few proven stretch-big options on the roster.
The conversation then shifts to NBA.com ranking the Bulls 13th in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Is that disrespectful after adding Norman Powell, Nic Claxton and Caleb Wilson? Or is it fair because the East got deeper with Philadelphia, Miami, Indiana, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta and Orlando all positioned as stronger or more proven teams?
Plus, Haize reacts to Caleb Wilson continuing to energize Bulls fans with confidence, appreciation and Rookie of the Year ambition. Wilson’s Summer League shooting, above-the-rim game, fit next to Powell and path toward a potential two-man ROY race with Cameron Boozer are all on the table.
🔥 Topics include:
Should the Bulls trade Jalen Smith?
Lakers, Warriors, Wolves and Sixers trade fit
Why Smith’s shooting matters beside Giddey, Caleb and Claxton
What Chicago should demand in a Smith trade
NBA.com ranking the Bulls 13th in the East
Disrespect or reality for the new-look Bulls?
Caleb Wilson’s confidence and ROY push
Why Wilson vs Boozer could become the rookie race to watch
How Chicago’s depth and development timeline shape the season
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/BullsCentralPod
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Are the Chicago Bulls done making moves, or is Bryson Graham keeping one chair open for a reason?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why the Bulls may enter the regular season with their 15th full-time roster spot open. After days of smoke around Bennedict Mathurin, including reported interest from Chicago and praise from the Bulls’ coaching staff, local reporting has suggested that the interest may be overstated. That does not completely kill the possibility, but it does make the Bulls’ bigger priority clear: flexibility.
Haize explains why keeping the final roster spot open may line up with Bryson Graham’s front-office philosophy. Instead of rushing into a restricted free-agent sign-and-trade or adding a veteran just to fill the bench, Chicago could preserve flexibility to help facilitate trades, take on salary, or collect future draft capital if the right opportunity appears.
Then the conversation gets bigger: Should the Bulls be watching the Orlando Magic and a potential second-apron crunch involving Paolo Banchero? If Orlando ever reaches a point where Banchero becomes available, should Chicago be aggressive even if the fit with Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson is imperfect?
Plus, Haize looks ahead to 2027 free agency and why the 2026–27 season may be an evaluation year that determines whether the Bulls eventually pursue a player like Mathurin, Peyton Watson, or Jalen Duren.
🔥 Topics include:
Why the Bulls may keep the final roster spot open
Bennedict Mathurin interest cooling off?
Why flexibility may matter more than filling spot No. 15
Bryson Graham’s salary-dump/draft-capital strategy
Why Paolo Banchero should be on Chicago’s radar
Banchero’s fit with Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson
Is 2026–27 an evaluation season for the Bulls?
Mathurin vs Watson vs Duren as future targets
How Caleb, Matas and Claxton shape the 2027 plan
Why the Bulls should avoid forcing the wrong move
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/BullsCentralPod
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Can Josh Giddey lead the NBA in assists next season? It may sound bold, but the numbers say the conversation is real.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why Josh Giddey does not need an unrealistic statistical explosion to enter the assist-title race. Giddey averaged 9.1 assists in only 32.1 minutes per game last season, trailing league leader Nikola Jokić by just 1.6 assists per game. He did not officially qualify because he played only 54 games, but on a raw per-game basis, he would have ranked behind only Jokić and Cade Cunningham.
Haize compares Giddey to the last three NBA assist champions: Jokić, Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton. The recent assist-title range has been roughly 10.7 to 11.6 assists per game, meaning Giddey likely needs to add about 1.6 to 2.0 assists per game to become a true favorite.
The Bulls’ new roster gives him a real chance. Norman Powell gives Chicago a proven shooting scorer, Nic Claxton gives Giddey a vertical lob threat, Caleb Wilson is built for transition, cuts and hit-ahead passes, and Matas Buzelis could become the secondary scoring partner that turns more Giddey reads into assists.
Plus, Haize lays out what Giddey must do to actually win the assist crown: play enough games, reach the 10.7 to 11.0 assist range, remain Chicago’s clear primary initiator, improve his scoring gravity and cut down the wasteful turnovers.
🔥 Topics include:
Can Josh Giddey lead the NBA in assists?
Giddey vs Jokić, Trae and Haliburton
Why availability is the first hurdle
How Norman Powell helps Giddey’s assist numbers
Why Nic Claxton changes the Bulls’ pick-and-roll geometry
Caleb Wilson as a perfect transition target
Matas Buzelis as Giddey’s secondary scoring partner
Why Chicago’s pace already supports assist production
What Giddey must clean up to reach 11 assists per game
Giddey’s realistic and high-end projections
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/BullsCentralPod
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Email: BullsCentralPod@gmail.com
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Phone: ‪(773) 270-2799‬

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Chicago Bulls fans keep saying the team should follow the blueprint of the Thunder, Spurs, Knicks or Pacers — but here’s the problem: none of those teams followed the same blueprint themselves.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why the Bulls cannot simply copy another franchise’s rebuild. Oklahoma City converted established stars into historic asset value, San Antonio landed a generational prospect, New York identified Jalen Brunson before the league fully understood his ceiling, and Indiana retooled around Tyrese Haliburton instead of tearing everything down. The real lesson is not copying one path — it is identifying your own advantage and becoming aggressive at the right stage of your own timeline.
Haize explains what the Bulls can actually borrow from each team: asset discipline from OKC, development standards from San Antonio, star identification from New York, and style-based roster building from Indiana. But Chicago cannot copy OKC’s Paul George trade return, San Antonio’s lottery luck, New York’s Brunson leap, or Indiana’s Haliburton trade.
The Bulls are still in the discovery stage with Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Nic Claxton, Dailyn Swain, Rob Dillingham, Noa Essengue, Leonard Miller and the rest of the young core. Before Bryson Graham makes a massive consolidation trade, Chicago must figure out who the organizing talent is, which young players fit together, and which players are true core pieces versus useful assets.
🔥 Topics include:
Why “copy the blueprint” is the wrong Bulls conversation
What OKC, San Antonio, New York and Indiana actually did differently
Why Chicago cannot copy another team’s luck or leverage
Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson as the discovery-stage core
Why development must be competitive
How veterans should support the rebuild
When Bryson Graham should become aggressive
Why the Bulls’ next star move must complete the core — not fake progress
A real Bulls-specific blueprint: identify, define, separate, consolidate, sustain
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/BullsCentralPod
Get at us:
Email: BullsCentralPod@gmail.com
Twitter:@BullsCentralPod
Phone: ‪(773) 270-2799‬

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