Locked On Bulls - Daily Podcast On The Chicago Bulls

Nic Claxton believes his move to the Chicago Bulls can help turn his career around, and Tiago Splitter may already have a very different vision for how to use him. 👀🐂
On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer break down Claxton’s confidence entering the 2026-27 NBA season and why his role could become one of the biggest stories of Tiago Splitter’s first year in Chicago.
Claxton is expected to anchor the Bulls defense, but Splitter apparently wants more than traditional rim protection. The Bulls want to take advantage of Claxton’s mobility by allowing him to switch onto guards and defend farther away from the basket, potentially giving Chicago one of the more versatile defensive frontcourts in the Eastern Conference.
Haize and Pat discuss whether that approach can help Claxton rediscover the form that once made him one of the NBA’s more intriguing defensive centers. How aggressive should Chicago be with switching? Can Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson help cover the paint when Claxton gets pulled outside? And could Claxton become the key that allows Splitter to build the aggressive defensive identity he has been preaching throughout training camp?
The guys also discuss the changing conversation around Noa Essengue.
Splitter was demanding more force, aggression and consistency from Essengue during Summer League, but the tone surrounding the young forward has reportedly become much more positive during training camp. Is Noa beginning to show the growth Chicago hoped to see? Could he earn NBA minutes sooner than expected, or should the Bulls still prioritize G League development?
Plus, the Jalen Smith trade rumors are back, with the Los Angeles Lakers connected to the Bulls big man.
Would Chicago actually benefit from moving Smith? His shooting gives the Bulls something unique in the frontcourt, especially when playing next to non-shooters. But with Claxton, Zach Collins, Caleb Wilson, and other options competing for minutes, Smith could also become one of Chicago’s more realistic trade chips.
Topics Include:
- Nic Claxton confident he can revive his career with the Bulls
- How Tiago Splitter plans to use Claxton defensively
- Claxton potentially switching onto guards
- Bulls’ aggressive defensive philosophy
- How Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson fit around Claxton
- Tiago Splitter changing his tone on Noa Essengue
- Noa’s strong training camp
- Could Essengue earn NBA rotation minutes?
- Jalen Smith to Lakers trade rumors
- Should Chicago trade Jalen Smith?
- Bulls frontcourt rotation entering preseason
- Bryson Graham’s next roster decision
Training camp is already changing some of the assumptions Bulls fans carried into the season. Claxton may have a much larger defensive role than expected, Essengue may be further along than Summer League suggested, and Jalen Smith could suddenly become a player to watch on the trade market.
🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Nic Claxton’s comeback expectations, Tiago Splitter’s surprising defensive plan, Noa Essengue’s training-camp progress, and the latest Jalen Smith-Lakers trade conversation.
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On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer react to Splitter calling Isaac Okoro “probably our best perimeter defender” and making it clear that Okoro is going to play a lot of minutes during the 2026-27 NBA season.
That immediately creates a major rotation question: if Okoro is playing a lot, whose minutes are getting squeezed?
With Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Nic Claxton expected to make up the starting five, Okoro could become one of Tiago’s most trusted bench pieces and potentially a late-game defensive closer. But what does that mean for Patrick Williams, Leonard Miller, Dailyn Swain, Noa Essengue, and the rest of Chicago’s crowded wing rotation?
Haize and Pat also dive into the bigger story emerging from training camp: is the Bulls culture actually changing under Tiago Splitter?
Matas Buzelis has described the first practices as some of the best training-camp experiences he has had, while Caleb Wilson has emphasized the physicality, players diving on the floor, and the competitive tone being established early.
Splitter is also preaching a more aggressive defensive philosophy — picking players up higher, attacking screens, dictating where opposing offenses go and using Nic Claxton’s rim protection behind them.
Is this simply normal training-camp optimism? Or are we finally seeing an actual identity being installed?
🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Isaac Okoro’s expanded role, whether Tiago Splitter is truly changing the Bulls culture, and why Chicago’s smartest final roster move may be no move at all.
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Chicago Bulls training camp is already forcing fans to reconsider some offseason assumptions — especially when it comes to Dailyn Swain and Caleb Wilson. 👀🐂
On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer break down the early buzz surrounding Dailyn Swain, who has reportedly looked dramatically different from the player Bulls fans saw during Summer League. After an uneven showing in Las Vegas, Swain is now getting praise for his aggression, paint attacks, defensive versatility, and willingness to take on difficult assignments.
So did Bulls fans judge him too quickly?
The guys discuss whether Swain can turn his defensive tools and growing confidence into a legitimate role in Tiago Splitter’s rotation, or whether spending significant time with the Windy City Bulls would still be the best path for his development.
Haize and Pat also dive into one of the most interesting developments from training camp: the Bulls challenging Caleb Wilson to defend on the perimeter — including potentially guarding point guards.
Could Wilson become Chicago’s defensive chess piece? His size, athleticism, length, and mobility already give him intriguing upside, but if he can legitimately switch onto guards, the Bulls could build extremely versatile defensive combinations around Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Nic Claxton.
The guys debate what would matter more for Caleb’s rookie season: becoming a major scorer immediately or establishing himself as an elite multi-positional defender.
Plus, they revisit the Jalen Duren situation in Detroit and whether Bryson Graham should continue monitoring it. With Duren’s future creating uncertainty, should the Bulls stay ready if a young All-Star-caliber center eventually becomes available? Or does having Claxton already make a major investment in Duren unnecessary?
Topics Include:
- Dailyn Swain impressing at Bulls training camp
- Did fans overreact to Swain’s Summer League struggles?
- Swain’s path to real NBA rotation minutes
- Caleb Wilson guarding point guards?
- Caleb’s defensive versatility and ceiling
- Tiago Splitter’s defensive vision for Chicago
- Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Nic Claxton together defensively
- Jalen Duren’s situation with Detroit
- Should the Bulls monitor Duren long-term?
- Claxton vs. Duren as potential long-term center options
- Bulls training camp storylines
Training camp is only beginning, but the Bulls are already showing signs that development, versatility, and defense could become major parts of their new identity under Tiago Splitter.
🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Dailyn Swain’s early redemption story, Caleb Wilson’s surprising defensive role, and whether the Bulls should keep watching Jalen Duren’s situation in Detroit.

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Tiago Splitter’s media day comments may have revealed one of the biggest changes coming to the Chicago Bulls: more freedom for the young players. 👀🐂
On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer break down what that could mean for a roster built around youth, development, and competition heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.
If Splitter truly plans to give players like Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Noa Essengue, Rob Dillingham, Jaylin Sellers, and the rest of Chicago’s young core more room to play through mistakes, create offense, and grow on the floor, the Bulls could look very different from what fans have seen in recent seasons.
The guys discuss which young Bulls could benefit most from that freedom — and which players may actually take a major leap under Tiago’s system.
But more opportunity for the young guys means somebody else could lose minutes.
Haize and Pat also look at the veterans and players on expiring contracts who could fall out of the rotation or become trade candidates if Chicago decides to fully prioritize its future. Training camp and the first part of the season could quickly establish a hierarchy, and veterans who do not fit the new direction may become movable pieces.
That leads to the biggest question of the episode: who thrives under Tiago Splitter?
Could Matas Buzelis become the biggest beneficiary of more offensive freedom? Can Rob Dillingham turn creativity into real rotation minutes? Does Caleb Wilson immediately earn trust? Could Patrick Williams find new life in a different system? Or will a veteran surprise everyone by becoming indispensable?
Topics Include:
- Tiago Splitter’s media day comments
- Young Bulls expected to have more freedom
- How player development could change under Tiago
- Matas Buzelis’ opportunity to take another leap
- Caleb Wilson’s role as a rookie
- Rob Dillingham’s path to consistent minutes
- Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue development
- Which Bulls veterans could lose rotation spots
- Expiring contracts that could become trade candidates
- Who fits best in Tiago Splitter’s system
- Bulls training camp rotation battles
- Chicago’s youth movement becoming real
The Bulls are entering a season where development and competition may finally go hand in hand. If Tiago Splitter truly empowers the young core, some players could take off — while others may find themselves squeezed out faster than expected.
🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Tiago Splitter’s new approach, which young players could thrive, and which veterans may be fighting to stay in the rotation.
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Chicago Bulls Media Day 2026 is here, and we’re breaking down what it tells us about the 2026–27 season. What is the plan for this team under new head coach Tiago Splitter and basketball operations leader Bryson Graham? We react to the biggest takeaways from Media Day, the expectations heading into training camp, and the questions Bulls fans still need answered.
How big a role will rookie Caleb Wilson play right away? What does the next step look like for Matas Buzelis? We’ll also discuss Josh Giddey, how Norman Powell and Nic Claxton fit with this roster, and what the Bulls’ starting lineup and identity could look like.
This is our full Chicago Bulls Media Day reaction and early look at the season ahead. Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments: What did you hear today that made you more excited—or more concerned—about the Bulls?
Subscribe for Chicago Bulls news, reactions, and discussion throughout the season.
#ChicagoBulls #Bulls #nba
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