Chicago Bulls Central

ESPN projects the Chicago Bulls to go 31–51 again — but does that actually mean the Bulls failed to improve?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize reacts to ESPN’s Summer Forecast placing the Bulls 13th in the Eastern Conference at 31–51, the same record as last season. But the bigger story is the depth of the East: ESPN projects the 10th-place team at 44 wins, meaning Chicago could become a better basketball team and still not climb much in the standings.
Haize explains why ESPN’s projection is defensible. The Bulls are still beginning a real rebuild with Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Dailyn Swain, Noa Essengue, Rob Dillingham, and a new head coach in Tiago Splitter all bringing different levels of uncertainty. But Haize also pushes back: this is not the same 31-win team simply running it back. Chicago added Caleb Wilson, Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, while also banking on internal growth from Giddey, Matas, Leonard Miller and Dillingham.
Then Haize asks whether Tiago Splitter can unlock Matas Buzelis the way he helped unlock Deni Avdija. Deni jumped from 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists to 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists under Splitter, while becoming a first-time All-Star. The lesson for Matas: attack with force, create for others, get to the free-throw line and stop letting the defense dictate where he plays.
Finally, Haize dives into the Windy City Bulls development plan after Chicago hired Quincy Pondexter to lead the G League team. Should Noa Essengue and Dailyn Swain spend time in the G League? Haize says yes — if it’s done correctly. Noa needs heavy reps. Swain should compete for NBA minutes first, but Windy City can be a development shuttle, not an exile.
🔥 Topics include:
ESPN projecting the Bulls at 31–51 again
Why the East’s depth changes the conversation
Why 31 wins could still be a successful development season
Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey as the real measuring sticks
Tiago Splitter’s possible impact on Matas
Deni Avdija’s leap as a blueprint
Noa Essengue and Dailyn Swain G League debate
Quincy Pondexter, Jordan Brink and Splitter building a real player-development pipeline
🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!
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Matas Buzelis wants to adjust his shot profile — and it could be exactly what his star leap needs.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why Matas wanting to reduce his three-point volume is not automatically a bad thing. After averaging 16.3 points while taking 6.4 threes per game and shooting 34.9% from deep, Matas may be looking to become more than just a rim-or-three scorer. The key is not abandoning the three-point shot — it is adding a reliable midrange counter that helps him become a true three-level scorer.
Haize explains why the midrange is not dead, why bad midrange basketball is dead, and how a 10-to-15-foot pull-up could help Matas punish defenders who run him off the line. If Matas can become a better finisher through contact, attack closeouts, get to the free-throw line and add a reliable short midrange game, his Year 3 leap could change the Bulls’ offensive ceiling.
Then the show shifts to Jalen Duren, whose contract situation with Detroit could get very interesting. Duren struggled in the 2025-26 playoffs, but Haize explains why Bulls fans should not let one bad postseason erase the fact that he is a 22-year-old All-Star center who averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds in the regular season. If Duren reaches unrestricted free agency in 2027, Chicago should be watching closely — but only after evaluating Nic Claxton, Caleb Wilson’s shooting, and the long-term frontcourt fit.
Finally, Haize connects the Sylvain Francisco story to Rob Dillingham. The Bulls nearly added a EuroLeague guard who could score, shoot, run pick-and-roll and organize the second unit. That should not discourage Rob — it should motivate him. If Dillingham can become a reliable bench scorer and secondary creator, he could save Bryson Graham from spending assets on another guard.
🔥 Topics include:
Matas Buzelis wanting fewer threes
Why Matas needs a midrange counter
How Matas can become a three-level scorer
Why playoff scorers need counters
Jalen Duren’s contract situation
Should the Bulls monitor Duren in 2027?
How Duren would fit with Caleb, Matas and Giddey
Why Rob Dillingham should be fired up by the Francisco pursuit
Rob’s path to becoming Chicago’s bench scorer
How player development can save the Bulls assets
🎧 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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The Caleb Wilson hype has officially gone wild — but what if some of it is actually justified?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why the comparisons to Tracy McGrady, Shawn Kemp, Pascal Siakam and Kevin Garnett may be too much for a rookie who has not played an NBA regular-season minute yet — while also explaining why the excitement around Caleb Wilson has a real foundation. Wilson’s Summer League production was not just empty scoring: he averaged 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 steals and shot 41.9% from three in limited minutes.
Haize explains why Caleb’s ceiling is so fascinating: transition offense, rim pressure, rebounding, defensive versatility, weak-side rim protection and shooting upside. The key is not calling him KG or T-Mac — it’s understanding that potential superstar traits are not the same thing as already being a superstar.
The episode also asks the real Year 1 questions: Is Caleb’s jumper real? Can he create in the half court? Does his defensive IQ match his defensive tools? And can the Bulls develop him properly without forcing him to carry the franchise immediately?
Then Haize shifts to Bryson Graham and whether the NBA’s new market has already complicated part of the Bulls’ rebuild plan. Fans expected Chicago to absorb bad contracts and collect first-round picks, but that market has not really materialized this summer. With future first-round picks becoming more valuable, pick-protection rules changing, and front offices getting smarter about contract structure, Graham may need to evolve his strategy.
Haize explains why Bulls fans should not criticize Graham for failing to take salary-dump deals that were not available — but also why flexibility cannot be the answer forever. Eventually, Graham must turn cap space, movable contracts, roster spots and young prospects into more talent.
🔥 Topics include:
Caleb Wilson hype and superstar comparisons
Why the KG/T-Mac talk is too much
Why Caleb’s Summer League actually mattered
ESPN’s high view of Caleb’s long-term ceiling
Caleb’s jumper, half-court creation and defensive IQ
Why Caleb and Matas Buzelis should grow together
Did the new NBA market hurt Bryson Graham’s rebuild plan?
Why salary-dump first-round picks are harder to find
How the new lottery and apron rules changed the market
Graham’s Plan B: asset creation, deadline flexibility and player development
🎧 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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The Chicago Bulls almost signed one of the best guards outside the NBA — and that may tell us a lot about what Bryson Graham thinks this roster still needs.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the report that the Bulls showed interest in Sylvain Francisco, the All-EuroLeague guard who finished second in EuroLeague MVP voting before signing a three-year deal with Panathinaikos. Francisco reportedly said Chicago wanted to complete another trade first, raising one major question: what was Bryson Graham planning?
Francisco is not a long-term core piece like Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Dailyn Swain or Rob Dillingham, but his skill set makes the Bulls’ interest fascinating. He brings burst, pick-and-roll creation, pull-up shooting, bench scoring and second-unit organization — exactly the areas Chicago may still be evaluating behind Giddey and Norman Powell.
Haize discusses why Francisco could have made sense as a bridge guard, how he would have fit with Caleb Wilson, Nic Claxton and Jalen Smith in pick-and-roll actions, and why his 39.9% three-point shooting last season made him more than just a European scoring guard.
But the bigger story may be the mystery trade. Was Graham trying to consolidate the guard room? Move a veteran like Isaac Okoro or Jalen Smith for assets? Or was Francisco simply part of a larger sequence that never came together because of the NBA’s offseason holding pattern?
Then Haize shifts to Josh Giddey, who may need to score less this season — and that could actually make him more valuable. With Caleb Wilson needing developmental touches, Matas Buzelis needing more creation reps, and Norman Powell capable of handling tough scoring possessions, Giddey’s future may depend on whether he can become the connector who makes everyone better instead of chasing another 17/8/9 season.
🔥 Topics include:
Bulls almost signing Sylvain Francisco
What Bryson Graham may have been planning
The mystery trade Chicago wanted to complete first
Why Francisco’s EuroLeague production mattered
Rob Dillingham, Dailyn Swain and Jaylin Sellers’ opportunity
Josh Giddey’s changing offensive role
Why Giddey may need to score less
Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis needing creation reps
How Giddey’s game scales against the best Eastern Conference defenses
What this means for the Bulls’ long-term backcourt
🎧 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
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Phone: ‪(773) 270-2799‬

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Could the Chicago Bulls still make one more free-agent swing before training camp?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the top free-agent and potential waiver targets who could still fit the Bulls’ rebuild, including Bennedict Mathurin, Cam Whitmore, Cam Thomas, Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji. The big correction: Cam Whitmore is not technically a free agent yet, but Cleveland is reportedly weighing a waive-and-stretch move that could put him on the market — and if that happens, he immediately becomes one of the most interesting Bulls targets available.
Haize explains why Mathurin is the best player available but also the most complicated option. He brings youth and proven scoring, but his restricted free-agent status, expected price range, and the likely need for a sign-and-trade make him a difficult fit for Chicago’s current plan.
The show dives into why Cam Whitmore might be the best realistic Bulls opportunity if Cleveland waives him. At only 22 years old, Whitmore offers scoring aggression, rim pressure, transition ability and reclamation upside at a potentially depressed price — exactly the kind of low-risk swing a rebuilding team should consider.
Haize also weighs Cam Thomas as a pure bench bucket-getter, Bruce Brown as a veteran stabilizer, and Ochai Agbaji as a quiet 3-and-D flyer. With several useful players still unsigned and most teams out of meaningful spending power, Chicago’s $9.4 million room exception may suddenly have real leverage.
Plus, Matas Buzelis wants his get back against Luka Doncic. After their March trash-talk exchange ended with Luka dropping 51, Matas said he would talk again and wants another shot — and Haize explains why that competitive edge matters for a young Bulls forward trying to earn respect.
🔥 Topics include:
Bulls free-agent options before training camp
Bennedict Mathurin’s fit and price problem
Cam Whitmore as a possible waiver target
Cam Thomas as bench scoring insurance
Bruce Brown as the veteran stabilizer
Ochai Agbaji as a low-cost wing flyer
Why Chicago’s room exception has new value
Matas Buzelis wanting revenge on Luka Doncic
Bulls voicemails on Matas, Cam Whitmore and future star swings
🎧 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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