The National Basketball Association is 15 days away, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Chicago Bulls.
Key Acquisitions
There are two new notable Bulls this season. They are Australia’s own Josh Giddey of Melbourne, and Talen Horton-Tucker of Chicago, Illinois. Giddey was traded from the Thunder to the Bulls for guard Alex Caruso of College Station, Texas on June 21. Horton-Tucker signed with the Bulls on September 4 according to Arthur Hill of hoopsrumors.com.
Giddey, who played one season each for the Thunder the last three seasons at different primary positions (small forward in 2021-22, power forward in 2022-23 and shooting guard in 2023-24), averaged 12,3 points per game last season in Oklahoma City. He also had 6.4 rebounds per game, 4.8 assists per game, a field goal percentage of .475, three point percentage of .337, and a free throw percentage of .806.
Horton-Tucker, a guard, is joining his third NBA franchise. He was with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2022, and the Utah Jazz from 2022 to 2024. Horton-Tucker was with the Lakers when they won the 2020 NBA Finals. This past season with the Jazz, he averaged 10.1 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of .396, three point percentage of .33o, and free throw percentage of .807.
Fantasy Stars
There are no Chicago Bulls ranked in the top 10 at any fantasy position.
Projected Finish
The Bulls have a mixture of youth and experience. Their more experienced players are shooting guard Coby White of Goldsboro, North Carolina, small forward Zach Lavine of Renton, Washington, and center Nikola Vucevic. Without the presence of a superstar, the Bulls will have a tough time making the postseason. I am predicting a fourth place spot in the Central Division and no playoff spot.
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