Is that what it feels like to watch good, competitive basketball?
Man, one day rooting for the Portland Trail Blazers, and they’ve already given more back to the Chicago Bulls than most of the players we’ve traded away ever did.
Also, our boy Coby White. Talk about an instant-impact player. The Charlotte Hornets are going to remember what he did last night for years. They can thank the Chicago Bulls for turning Coby into a seasoned play-in tournament vet. It was all part of the development.
Let’s talk Bulls basketball.
@ Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Last night, the first two games of the NBA Play-In Tournament tipped off. And even though the Chicago Bulls weren’t playing in either one (thank God), there was still plenty of reason for Bulls fans to tune in. The first game: Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat. And the reason to watch was former Bull, Coby White. The Hornets have been one of the best teams this calendar year, but they still had to fight their way out of the play-in just to avoid being labeled a lottery team again. This game? Won by one point in overtime. A full-on thriller, no other way to describe it. And Coby White was a huge reason why. He finished with 19 points off the bench and a team-high +21. But it wasn’t just the numbers, it was how and when he got them. That third quarter was his. In just 5:25 of playing time, he dropped 14 points. Went 4-for-4 from three. Every shot felt like a momentum swing. The kind of stretch where, if Eric Collins had been on the mic, he might’ve actually lost his voice. Then the fourth quarter came, and he cooled off a bit. Just one three made. Off-balance. Ten seconds left. Game on the line. Tie game. Sends it to overtime. So yeah, just one three. But the three. And it really makes you wonder, if the Bulls hadn’t traded him this season while he was dealing with injuries on an expiring contract, or if they had moved him earlier, could they have gotten more back?Coby White's game-tying shot was RIDICULOUS! t.co/DRJ7g6CbBI pic.twitter.com/tzUWn7XV2X
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2026 Now, on to the second play-in game — the one that had bigger implications than just enjoying a former player going off. Rewind to August 2021. The Bulls acquire a pick as part of a three-team deal when they moved Lauri Markkanen. That pick was heavily protected. Kept rolling over year after year, waiting on one thing: the Blazers making the playoffs. And last night, they finally did. Behind a 41-point explosion from Deni Avdija in a four-point win, the Blazers clinched a playoff spot as the 7-seed. And just like that, the Chicago Bulls officially land the 15th pick, just outside the lottery, in what’s shaping up to be a stacked 2026 NBA Draft. Funny how things come full circle. Because back in 2020, a lot of people thought Chicago was going to draft Deni at No. 4. Instead, they went with Patrick Williams. A pick that surprised not just fans, but Deni himself."The whole world thought Chicago will take me at 4… When Chicago drafted Patrick Williams it was a surprise. Nobody really thought about him going four… nobody really knew his name."– Deni Avdija on the draft(Via @OldManAndThree, h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/iExwHWJ07p
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 15, 2026 And now, in hindsight, it’s kind of wild to think that the Chicago Bulls may have ended up getting a better return from Deni Avdija indirectly, than they did from the player they chose over him. Now the Chicago Bulls head into the offseason looking pretty. Two solid first-round picks. Two second-round picks. A couple of promising young players. $65 million in cap space. And still the chance to bring in the right people to make the decisions. But Chicago still has some decisions of its own to make, starting with whether they want to bring back any of the guys who are now on the way out. Guerschon Yabusele is one of them. The French forward made it clear he enjoyed his time in Chicago and appreciated the opportunity. He’s already said he’d love to come back if the team is open to it. Even in his end-of-season reflection post, he made sure to single out Chicago and show love. There’s a real world where the Bulls bring him back, not just for what he gives on the court, but for what he brings to the locker room. Especially with Noa Essengue in the mix, who mentioned the season felt easier having another French player around.This one means a lot.Not every season is a straight line, but I’m proud of how I kept showing up and stayed true to myself through it all.Coming to Chicago gave me a new energy, a real opportunity to just play my game and be myself again.I gave everything I had every night,… pic.twitter.com/GcLINnEvQV
— Guerschon Yabusele (@yabusele28) April 14, 2026 Tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Golden State Warriors in a true win-or-go-home play-in matchup. What makes it even more interesting is the timing, these two teams just faced off at the end of the regular season, a game the Clippers took. Before that last matchup, Brook Lopez—twin brother of former Chicago Bull Robin Lopez—pulled up to the arena with one of the most dramatic tunnel entrances you’ll see all season, carrying a life-size Skeletor Havoc Staff. The whole thing was inspired by the upcoming Masters of the Universe live-action film.It wasn’t just a funny pregame bit but a showcase of how players are leaning more into personality, into storytelling, into moments that go beyond the game itself and into the theatricality of the franchise while tapping into the growing cultural crossover between sports and fandom.MORE BULLS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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