The Chicago Bulls are looking ahead to the 2026-27 season by assessing their young talent, ranking every player on the roster under 25 years old. This evaluation comes after the team closed the 2025-26 campaign with a 149-128 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on April 13, part of a recent run of two wins and three losses. New front office leader Bryson Graham is set to give all young players a fair chance during a strict evaluation period over the next few months. The focus is squarely on development, with seven players making the cut for this ranking based on upside and early career performance.
Rookie Caleb Wilson, the 20-year-old selected fourth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, claims the top spot. He hasn't played an NBA game yet, but his potential is immense. Wilson impressed throughout the pre-draft process with explosive athleticism and a versatile two-way skill set. His Summer League performance, including promising three-point shooting, solidified his status as the franchise's most promising draft pick since Derrick Rose. If he meets expectations, Wilson could become a true cornerstone player for Chicago.
Matas Buzelis, the 21-year-old forward, ranks second. Many considered him a steal at 12th overall in the 2024 draft, and he's proven it. Buzelis has shown All-Star potential in two NBA seasons, displaying fluid athleticism and improved on-ball scoring. His defensive impact is significant. He finished last season ranked in the top six in the entire league for total blocks. Pairing Buzelis with Wilson gives the Bulls a formidable young forward duo with high ceilings.
The rankings continue with several other prospects under 25. The pool of seven excludes players like Patrick Williams and Isaac Okoro, who just missed the age cutoff. The evaluation by Graham and his staff will consider each player's fit and development trajectory. This period is vital for determining who remains part of the long-term rebuild.
Development is the clear priority. The front office acknowledges that not every young player on the current roster was hand-selected by the new brain trust. However, the plan is to provide a genuine opportunity for each to prove their value. The coming months will be telling. Performance in training camp and preseason games will heavily influence decisions about roles and roster construction moving forward.
The Bulls enter this evaluation phase after finishing the previous season with inconsistent results. Their final five games included a 119-108 win in Washington on April 9 and a 129-98 victory there on April 7. But they also suffered losses to the Orlando Magic (127-103 on April 11) and the Phoenix Suns (120-110 on April 5). The season concluded with that high-scoring defeat in Dallas, where the Mavericks put up 149 points. This mixed bag of results highlights the team's need for more consistent, high-level talent.
Building through the draft and developing in-house talent is the stated path. Securing a top-four pick in a deep 2026 draft class, which yielded Caleb Wilson, was a major step. The organization believes adding high-upside youngsters over time is the formula for a successful rebuild. The immediate goal is to identify which of the current young players can grow alongside Wilson and Buzelis. Their development will be central to any future playoff aspirations. For now, the work begins with a thorough assessment of the promising talent already wearing red and black.
