Chicago Bulls Suffer Loss of Lachlan Olbrich
The Chicago Bulls have lost another player to the B.League in Japan, with forward Lachlan Olbrich signing with Tokyo Alvark. The 22-year-old Australian star will be one of the highest-paid foreign players in the league next season.
Last result: Dallas Mavericks 149-128 Chicago Bulls (2026-04-13). Recent form (last 5): 2W-0D-3L (LLWWL, most recent first); lost the last 2.
What Happened?
Olbrich, who was selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025 NBA draft, has chosen to leave the NBA to play in Japan. He will be joining a team that includes eight-year NBA veteran big man Frank Kaminsky.
Why It Matters for Chicago Bulls
The loss of Olbrich is a significant blow to the Chicago Bulls, who are already dealing with the departures of several other players. Anfernee Simons signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, while Collin Sexton joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Yuki Kawamura played for the Indiana Pacers in the Summer League, but he ended up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Mouhamadou Gueye was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a four-team deal.
What Comes Next?
The Chicago Bulls will need to regroup and find a way to replace the production of Olbrich. They have made some moves to strengthen their roster, acquiring Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets and signing free agent All-Star Norman Powell. However, the loss of Olbrich will be a significant challenge for the team to overcome.
Olbrich's decision to leave the NBA and play in Japan's B.League is a significant one, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his new role. He will be playing under coach Ryan Richman, whom ESPN's Olgun Uluc has called "one of the best young coaches" not in the NBA. Olbrich has expressed his excitement about the opportunity to work with Richman and experience the culture and lifestyle of Japan.
In 37 games as a rookie, Olbrich averaged 2.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, shooting 46.8% from the floor. He also appeared in seven games for the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League, putting up 17.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 58.6% shooting from the field. The Australian forward joins other former NBA players in Japan, such as Yuta Watanabe, Sekou Doumbouya, and Stanley Johnson.
The Chicago Bulls will need to find a way to replace the production of Olbrich, but they have made some moves to strengthen their roster. They will need to regroup and find a way to overcome the loss of Olbrich, but they have the talent and depth to do so. The team's head coach, Billy Donovan, will need to find a way to motivate his team and get them to perform at a high level without Olbrich.
The loss of Olbrich is a significant blow to the Chicago Bulls, but they have the talent and depth to overcome it. They will need to regroup and find a way to replace the production of Olbrich, but they have made some moves to strengthen their roster. The team's head coach, Billy Donovan, will need to find a way to motivate his team and get them to perform at a high level without Olbrich. The Chicago Bulls will need to find a way to overcome the loss of Olbrich and continue to compete at a high level in the NBA.
